Diagnosis and Treatment of TMD Syndrome: Snoring, Sleep Apnea, Bruxism, Myofascial Pain

Course Overview

This hands-on course is designed to provide dentists with a scientific, systematic, and clinically applicable approach to commonly encountered conditions within dental sleep medicine and functional prosthodontics, including snoring, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), sleep bruxism, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), myofascial pain, and occlusal problems associated with loss of vertical dimension.

Participants will learn not only what treatment to provide, but also which patient is an appropriate candidate, when treatment should be initiated, which appliance or prosthodontic approach should be selected, and why a particular treatment strategy is preferred. Diagnosis, indications, treatment planning, appliance selection, and clinical application will be addressed through a comprehensive and structured approach.

Theoretical Training

The course covers the pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, and clinical management of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Oral appliances used in the management of OSA and snoring, appliance selection and design principles, and the concept and clinical applications of airway prosthodontics will be discussed in detail.

The relationship between sleep bruxism and the stomatognathic system and surrounding orofacial tissues will be evaluated, together with the clinical relationship between bruxism and TMD. The management of temporomandibular disorders, including stabilization and muscle-relaxation splints, will be addressed. The evaluation and management of myofascial pain, including appropriate indications and protocols for botulinum toxin applications, will also be discussed.

Occlusal and prosthodontic principles for managing loss of vertical dimension and increasing vertical dimension will be examined. All topics will be presented through clinical features, diagnostic criteria, treatment indications, clinical algorithms, and case-based discussions, with a focus on selecting the appropriate treatment approach and appliance for each clinical situation.

Hands-on Training

Participants will perform practical exercises on 3D models based on different clinical scenarios. Appliance selection and design, evaluation of occlusal relationships, and functional prosthodontic approaches will be practiced in a structured hands-on format.

Throughout the practical sessions, clinical tips, treatment success criteria, and methods for evaluating treatment outcomes will be discussed. Interactive case discussions will help participants translate the knowledge gained during the course into their everyday clinical practice.

What You Will Learn in This Course

• Fundamental pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea

• The role of the dentist and treatment algorithms in dental sleep medicine

• Indications for oral appliance therapy in OSA and snoring

• Principles of appropriate appliance selection and appliance design

• Fundamentals and clinical applications of airway prosthodontics

• Effects of sleep bruxism on the stomatognathic system and orofacial tissues

• Clinical relationship between bruxism and TMD

• Indications for stabilization and muscle-relaxation splints

• Principles of assessment and management of myofascial pain

• Basic indications and treatment protocols for botulinum toxin applications

• Clinical assessment of loss of vertical dimension

• Occlusal and prosthodontic principles for increasing vertical dimension

• Functional prosthodontic approaches to TMD management

• Selection of appropriate treatment approaches and appliances for different clinical situations

• Systematic treatment planning from diagnosis through clinical application

Huseyin Kurtulmus

Professor Doctor

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