Joint Sync
-TMD Patient Care: An Integrated Online-Offline System
TMDs has become one of the most widespread oral diseases today, its causes are not fully understood, the prevalence of treatment is low, and there is a lack of good prevention and recovery methods. This design aims to create a platform that combines online and offline approaches, to help early-stage TMD patients with prevention and postoperative recovery.
TMDs has become one of the most widespread oral diseases today, its causes are not fully understood, the prevalence of treatment is low, and there is a lack of good prevention and recovery methods. This design aims to create a platform that combines online and offline approaches, to help early-stage TMD patients with prevention and postoperative recovery.
What is TMDs?
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) is a common condition in dental practice, affecting jaw movement and causing pain, stiffness, and discomfort. It can interfere with daily activities like speaking, eating, and even sleeping, making effective management essential.
Unknown Causes
TMD's exact causes remain unclear, with multiple possible contributing factors.
Widespread Prevalence
As one of the most common oral diseases, TMD frequently affects younger populations.
Unique Challenges in China
In China, access to hospitals offering effective TMD treatments is very limited.
Diverse Symptoms
TMD symptoms range from mild discomfort to severe pain, significantly impacting daily life.
Rising incidence, Younger Trend
In recent years, TMD has become more prevalent, with a noticeable increase among younger individuals.
Symptom Relief, Not a Cure.
Many hospitals, especially in China, primarily focus on symptom relief rather than comprehensive treatment.
Desk Research:
Conclusion / Next step
Overall, existing treatment methods have various limitations and often fail to support daily management, leading to frequent relapses. To explore potential design solutions, I decided to start my research by examining the daily symptoms of TMD, hoping to uncover new possibilities for intervention.
Treatment deficiencies:
Open interviews
Based on my personal experience with TMD symptoms, I conducted interviews with people around me to identify patients with varying degrees of severity of TMD symptoms for further research.
Insights
Interestingly, a significant proportion of the respondents never realized that it was a disease because the symptoms were not obvious, and they still maintained their old bad oral habits in their lives.
Semi-structured interviews
My interview framework aimed to gather how TMD patients of varying severity manage their symptoms. By categorizing responses by symptom type and severity, I sought to pinpoint key pain points and identify which disease stages potential solutions should address.
Key Insights
Excluding severe cases that require surgery, patients who have used occlusal splints described the treatment as highly painful. After removal, they consciously avoid excessive mouth opening.
However, symptom recurrence triggered by emotions is difficult to prevent, and they often rely on heat therapy to alleviate pain.
Summary & Opportunity
Nearly all patients strongly resist occlusal splints.
Most TMD patients fear surgery and delay it unless symptoms severely impact daily life or eating.
Symptom recurrence after splint removal is common, with few effective relief methods.
Modifying occlusal splints is difficult, as they are designed to maintain the jaw in a therapeutic position.
" How might we provide alternatives beyond occlusal splints for TMD prevention, recovery maintenance, and treatment of early-stage or recurrent cases? By reducing the discomfort of the 2-3 month treatment process, we can help patients overcome resistance to treatment and support long-term joint health improvement."
Research process:
Desk Research:
What is TMDs?
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) is a common condition in dental practice, affecting jaw movement and causing pain, stiffness, and discomfort. It can interfere with daily activities like speaking, eating, and even sleeping, making effective management essential.
Widespread Prevalence
As one of the most common oral diseases, TMD frequently affects younger populations.
Unknown Causes
TMD's exact causes remain unclear, with multiple possible contributing factors.
Unique Challenges in China
In China, access to hospitals offering effective TMD treatments is very limited.
Diverse Symptoms
TMD symptoms range from mild discomfort to severe pain, significantly impacting daily life.
Rising incidence, Younger Trend
In recent years, TMD has become more prevalent, with a noticeable increase among younger individuals.
Symptom Relief, Not a Cure.
Many hospitals, especially in China, primarily focus on symptom relief rather than comprehensive treatment.
Conclusion / Next step
Overall, existing treatment methods have various limitations and often fail to support daily management, leading to frequent relapses. To explore potential design solutions, I decided to start my research by examining the daily symptoms of TMD, hoping to uncover new possibilities for intervention.
Treatment deficiencies:
Research process:
Open interviews
Based on my personal experience with TMD symptoms, I conducted interviews with people around me to identify patients with varying degrees of severity of TMD symptoms for further research.
Insights
Interestingly, a significant proportion of the respondents never realized that it was a disease because the symptoms were not obvious, and they still maintained their old bad oral habits in their lives.
Semi-structured interviews
My interview framework aimed to gather how TMD patients of varying severity manage their symptoms. By categorizing responses by symptom type and severity, I sought to pinpoint key pain points and identify which disease stages potential solutions should address.
Key Insights
Excluding severe cases that require surgery, patients who have used occlusal splints described the treatment as highly painful. After removal, they consciously avoid excessive mouth opening.
However, symptom recurrence triggered by emotions is difficult to prevent, and they often rely on heat therapy to alleviate pain.
Summary & Opportunity
Nearly all patients strongly resist occlusal splints.
Most TMD patients fear surgery and delay it unless symptoms severely impact daily life or eating.
Symptom recurrence after splint removal is common, with few effective relief methods.
Modifying occlusal splints is difficult, as they are designed to maintain the jaw in a therapeutic position.
" How might we provide alternatives beyond occlusal splints for TMD prevention, recovery maintenance, and treatment of early-stage or recurrent cases? By reducing the discomfort of the 2-3 month treatment process, we can help patients overcome resistance to treatment and support long-term joint health improvement."
Appearance-Conscious
Hormonal disorders
Anxiety
Lily Age: 16
Symptoms: Daily clicking sound since puberty, joint pain, worsens with attention
Causes: Hormonal imbalance, habit of sleeping on the stomach
Treatment: Occlusal splint, symptoms frequently recur
Other: Frequently clicks jaw when focused or anxious
"The splint is disgusting and ugly, and eating with it is really difficult."
Physically Active (Basketball)
Frequent Sleep Disturbances
Reluctant to seek medical help
Eason Age: 21
Symptoms: Occurs about every 6 months, lasting 1-2 weeks; limited mouth opening and left joint pain radiating to the head, shoulders, and neck
Causes: Anxiety, insomnia, and possible head trauma during basketball
Treatment: Doctor recommended heat therapy with minimal results
Other: Finds seeing a doctor inconvenient
“It’s difficult to make an appointment with a specialist, and since the recurrence is infrequent, I’ve just been enduring it myself.”
Physically Active (Basketball)
Frequent Sleep Disturbances
Reluctant to seek medical help
Eason Age: 21
Symptoms: Occurs about every 6 months, lasting 1-2 weeks; limited mouth opening and left joint pain radiating to the head, shoulders, and neck
Causes: Anxiety, insomnia, and possible head trauma during basketball
Treatment: Doctor recommended heat therapy with minimal results
Other: Finds seeing a doctor inconvenient
“It’s difficult to make an appointment with a specialist, and since the recurrence is infrequent, I’ve just been enduring it myself.”
Physically Active (Basketball)
Frequent Sleep Disturbances
Reluctant to seek medical help
Eason Age: 21
Symptoms: Occurs about every 6 months, lasting 1-2 weeks; limited mouth opening and left joint pain radiating to the head, shoulders, and neck
Causes: Anxiety, insomnia, and possible head trauma during basketball
Treatment: Doctor recommended heat therapy with minimal results
Other: Finds seeing a doctor inconvenient
“It’s difficult to make an appointment with a specialist, and since the recurrence is infrequent, I’ve just been enduring it myself.”
Appearance-Conscious
Hormonal disorders
Anxiety
Lily Age: 16
Symptoms: Daily clicking sound since puberty, joint pain, worsens with attention
Causes: Hormonal imbalance, habit of sleeping on the stomach
Treatment: Occlusal splint, symptoms frequently recur
Other: Frequently clicks jaw when focused or anxious
"The splint is disgusting and ugly, and eating with it is really difficult."
Appearance-Conscious
Hormonal disorders
Anxiety
Lily Age: 16
Symptoms: Daily clicking sound since puberty, joint pain, worsens with attention
Causes: Hormonal imbalance, habit of sleeping on the stomach
Treatment: Occlusal splint, symptoms frequently recur
Other: Frequently clicks jaw when focused or anxious
"The splint is disgusting and ugly, and eating with it is really difficult."
Personas:
User Flow:
Product Iteration:
Iteration A:
Two metal wires connected by an elastic band reduce foreign body discomfort. The band stretches to limit mouth opening, while a side chip transmits abnormal data online.
Final Version:
Transparent material replaces metal wires for better comfort and aesthetics. High-strength wires retract via a stepper motor.
Iteration B:
Thin wires replace the elastic band to prevent biting. The device is minimized for comfort.
APP Prototype:
Low fidelity
Test & Iterations:
Emotional Support
– Incorporate features that provide reassurance and reduce anxiety.
Visual Enhancements
– Improve data visualization for better clarity.
Comprehensive Treatment Tracking
– Enrich the wearing schedule page with treatment overviews.
Privacy-Controlled Community Sharing
– Users can share data with consent to protect privacy.
Mid fidelity
High fidelity
Test & Iterations:
Emotional Support
– Incorporate features that provide reassurance and reduce anxiety.
Visual Enhancements
– Improve data visualization for better clarity.
Comprehensive Treatment Tracking
– Enrich the wearing schedule page with treatment overviews.
Privacy-Controlled Community Sharing
– Users can share data with consent to protect privacy.
1
1
TMD has been bothering me for many years. After making up my mind to undergo surgery for treatment, a careless negligence in my daily life caused it to relapse again.
2
2
This relapse made me consider whether I should continue wearing the occlusal splint. The intense discomfort of nausea, pain, and the inability to chew made me want to try a new product.
3
3
After wearing the auxiliary device, it perfectly restrained the movement of my jaw joint at night and the unintentional excessive joint damage in daily life.
4
4
Combining the shared experiences of fellow patients on the app and the advice given by doctors, I started to adjust my mindset actively and persisted in exercising, gradually allowing my jaw joint to recover.
Story Board:
5
5
Soon after, the discomfort in my jaw joint gradually disappeared. I could eat anything without any issues and returned to my previous healthy state. The whole process was painless, and I no longer worry about a recurrence.
Patient Journey Map::
Jaw discomfort worsens with attention
Negative
psychological
state
Other
Unknown
causes
Treatment/after treatment
Sleeping
Daily
Eating
Exercise
Bruxism: causes joint misalignment
Bad sleep habits: compresses one side of jaw
Bruxism: damages tooth alignment
Bad sleep habits: mouth breathing, leads to prolonged mouth opening
Jaw overextension: laughing
Emotional distress: depression, anxiety, anger...
Excessive mouth opening while eating
Chewing hard foods
One-sided chewing
Jaw overextension: yawning
Exercise face hit
Severe facial compensation,
Teeth clenching
Wake up with jaw joint discomfort.
Finding comfortable sleep position, feel relaxed.
Bruxism, muscle tension, teeth grinding.
Pre-sleep anxiety (overthinking before sleep)
Discomfort affects performance.
Intense physical activity causes tension in the jaw muscles.
Exercise relieve anxiety and negative emotions
Excessive mouth opening while laughing, discomfort reappears.
Talking to friends, distract from the discomfort.
Jaw joint pain after chewing.
Pain Points
Morning:
Due to worsening overnight, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) feels painful and swollen.
Clicking sounds occur when opening the mouth, leading to frustration and anxiety throughout the day, worsening the symptoms.
Night:
Unconscious jaw muscle spasms can damage the joint.
Mouth breathing may cause joint dislocation.
Poor sleep posture can compress or dislocate the joint.
Teeth grinding causes the jaw to move out of place.
Day time:
Unconscious actions like yawning or laughing excessively can strain the joint.
Psychological stress and excessive focus on the joint intensify discomfort.
Eating:
Unilateral chewing causes excessive pressure on one TMJ, potentially leading to a harmful cycle of avoiding chewing on the affected side.
Eating hard or tough foods that require extensive chewing also strains the TMJ.
Exercise:
Competitive sports may impact the face
Strength training leads to compensatory facial movements, causing excessive tension in the muscles surrounding the jaw.
Patient Journey Map:
Opportunity
Visualization & Relief:
Introduce an online platform to visualize and summarize the patient’s symptoms or recovery progress, reducing anxiety.
Damage Prevention:
Restrict the temporomandibular joint unconsciously (e.g., at night or during daily yawning) to prevent accidental damage in everyday life.
Accessible Care:
Enable easier communication between patients and doctors via the online platform, addressing the difficulty of accessing medical care.
Chewing Monitoring:
Monitor the eating process, remind patients to balance chewing on both sides, and present records of chewing on foods that are detrimental to the joint.
Injury Protection:
Protect the temporomandibular joint from sports injuries, ensuring it won’t dislocate severely after external impact; incorporate vibration for deep muscle relaxation.
1
TMD has been bothering me for many years. After making up my mind to undergo surgery for treatment, a careless negligence in my daily life caused it to relapse again.
2
This relapse made me consider whether I should continue wearing the occlusal splint. The intense discomfort of nausea, pain, and the inability to chew made me want to try a new product.
3
After wearing the auxiliary device, it perfectly restrained the movement of my jaw joint at night and the unintentional excessive joint damage in daily life.
4
Combining the shared experiences of fellow patients on the app and the advice given by doctors, I started to adjust my mindset actively and persisted in exercising, gradually allowing my jaw joint to recover.
5
Soon after, the discomfort in my jaw joint gradually disappeared. I could eat anything without any issues and returned to my previous healthy state. The whole process was painless, and I no longer worry about a recurrence.
Story Board & User Flow:
Iteration A:
Two metal wires connected by an elastic band reduce foreign body discomfort. The band stretches to limit mouth opening, while a side chip transmits abnormal data online.
Final Version:
Transparent material replaces metal wires for better comfort and aesthetics. High-strength wires retract via a stepper motor.
Iteration B:
Thin wires replace the elastic band to prevent biting. The device is minimized for comfort.
Product Iteration:
APP Prototype:
Low fidelity
Test & Iterations:
Emotional Support
– Incorporate features that provide reassurance and reduce anxiety.
Visual Enhancements
– Improve data visualization for better clarity.
Comprehensive Treatment Tracking
– Enrich the wearing schedule page with treatment overviews.
Privacy-Controlled Community Sharing
– Users can share data with consent to protect privacy.
Mid fidelity
Test & Iterations:
Optimized Data Display
– Simplify historical data presentation to save space.
Quick Status Logging
– Implement a one-click rating system for easy tracking.
Community Content Structuring
– Differentiate authors by expertise levels.
High fidelity
Main interface:
Navigate to the Feeling Log page for symptom tracking and self-reflection.
Access the three main data sections for the day: Nighttime, Daytime, and Eating.
Bottom navigation bar allows switching to the Community and Profile pages.
My Documentary Page:
View all your previously written posts and check their publication status.
Choose to publish, unpublish, or edit any of your posts.
Tap the floating button to create a new post.
Create/Edit Post Page:
Tap the title field to edit the post title.
Tap the floating button to upload images.
Nighttime Data Page:
Switch between summary views (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) at the top.
Track the duration of different TMJ conditions during sleep.
Receive AI doctor suggestions, or ask the AI doctor questions directly.
Post Detail Page:
Option to follow or share the post.
Swipe left or right to view more images.
View the user’s data summary; if grayed out, it means the user chose not to share their data.
Like, comment on, or save the post.
Community Page:
Browse posts from other users.
A label next to the avatar and username indicates if the user is a verified professional (e.g., doctor).
User Profile Page:
Tap on any information field to edit personal details.
View your saved posts.
Access your historical health data.
Nighttime Data Page-2:
Access your historical health data.
Daytime Data Page:
Data is visualized using narrow bars, indicating specific time points of sudden joint stress (e.g., yawning, laughing, facial impact).
Unlike nighttime data, daytime events are instantaneous rather than continuous.
Eating Data Page:
A pie chart shows your left vs. right side chewing habits.
Includes notes on the texture and hardness of consumed food.
Data Summary Page:
View your annual score.
The dark segments on the circular chart represent months with severe TMD symptoms; gray segments indicate months yet to come.
Displays how many times Joint Synch actively protected the user throughout the year.
Provides a yearly summary of your condition.
Thank you for your patience
Hope Wang, 2023, Beijing
Thank you for your patience
Hope Wang, 2023, Beijing