Cost-effectiveness of treatments for temporomandibular disorders: biopsychosocial intervention versus treatment as usual

BACKGROUND: The authors conducted a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a biopsychosocial intervention with patients who are at high risk (HR) of progressing from acute to chronic TMD-related pain. METHODS: The authors classified 96 patients with acute TMD (less than six months' duration) as HR according to a predictive algorithm and randomized them into an early intervention (EI) or a nonintervention (NI) group. The NI group received a biopsychosocial treatment that included cognitive behavioral skills training and biofeedback. Both groups were followed up for one year. The authors collected TMD cost data throughout the year. RESULTS: The authors found that the EI group spent significantly fewer jaw-related health care dollars, relative to the NI group, from intake to the one-year follow-up. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The reduced jaw-related health care expenditures for patients in the EI group compared with expenditures for patients in the NI group at one year suggest that an early biopsychosocial intervention is a cost-effective measure in dealing with often unnecessarily costly TMD-related pain.