Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications for treatment of temporomandibular joint degenerative pain: a systematic review.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) to relieve temporomandibular joint (TMJ) degenerative joint disease (DJD) pain.

Methods: A search of the literature was made using electronic databases complemented with a manual search. Clinical trials comparing topical NSAID with either placebo or an alternative active treatment to treat TMJ DJD pain were identified. Outcomes evaluated were pain reduction/pain control and/or incidence of side effects.

Results: A single study (double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial) with 20 patients was identified that evaluated the efficacy of a topically prepared NSAID over a 12-week duration, measuring functional pain intensity, voluntary and assisted mouth opening, pain disability index, and a brief pain inventory analysis. This study revealed a pain intensity decrease within treatment groups but no significant difference between treatment groups.

Conclusion: Presently, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of topically applied NSAID medications to palliate TMJ DJD pain.