A study published in 'Healthcare (Basel)' demonstrated that utilizing a smartphone application for repetitive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can serve as a digital therapeutic approach for managing temporomandibular disorder (TMD). The researchers sought to assess the effects of CBT support applications on the implementation of CBT and the enhancement of clinical symptoms in individuals with TMD.

In total, 41 individuals diagnosed with TMD were divided into two groups: control (receiving conventional treatment) and experimental (receiving conventional treatment + using the application). The study compared improvements in tender points, mouth opening, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, pain upon palpation, joint sound, and stress levels between both groups.

Significant enhancements in the number of tender points and mouth opening were observed in the experimental group contrasted to the control group. Additionally, betterment in pain level, joint sound, and locking were noted in the experimental group, albeit without statistical significance as opposed to the control group. These results suggest the need for larger-scale studies to validate these findings. Engaging in repetitive CBT through a smartphone application has the potential to improve symptoms of TMD.