After odontogenic pain, temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are one of the most common causes of pain in the mouth and face and also have the potential to produce persisting (chronic) pain.
Chronic or persistent (myogenous) TMDs can be associated with other chronic pain conditions, including migraine, fibromyalgia, and widespread pain. They are also known to be comorbid with bruxism, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic fatigue. With or without these comorbidities, TMDs are recognised to have a considerable impact on quality of life.
Early diagnosis and explanation followed by management is likely to be key to improving prognosis and reducing the impact of this group of conditions on quality of life. The purpose of this review is to give non-specialists an overview of the diagnosis and management of TMDs.
Justin Durham NIHR clinician scientist, senior lecturer 1, Toby R O Newton-John senior lecturer,
clinical psychology 2, Joanna M Zakrzewska professor 3
1 Centre for Oral Health Research & Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK;
2 Graduate School of Health, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia;
3 Facial Pain Unit, Eastman Dental Hospital, UCLH NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
BMJ 2015
