Effectiveness of therapies according to duration of closed lock of the temporomandibular joint

Jaw relaxation guidance, opening excursive exercises, and arthrocentesis are easy and minimally invasive procedures in patients with closed lock of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). We describe these three procedure and report their effectiveness in 41 patients with closed lock of the TMJ.Jaw relaxation guidance was done in 17 patients with acute lock of the TMJ. Opening excursive exercises were performed in 12 patients who had chronic lock without severe joint pain. In 12 patients who had chronic lock with severe joint pain, arthrocentesis under sufficient hydraulic pressure and opening excursive exercises were performed. The efectiveness of the procedures was evaluated on the basis of the range of maximum mouth opening and joint pain at maximum mouth opening.Two weeks after these three procedures, the rangeof maximum mouth opening and joint pain at maximum mouth opening improved significantly.Our results indicate that these the rapies are easy and highly effective for the treatment of closed lock of the TMJ.