Frequency of Occurrence of the Pain Form of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD) includes disorders of the masticatory muscles in the stomatognathic system, temporomandibular joints and the surrounding structures. They are often associated with abnormal conditions of occlusion. The term "functional disorders" does not include all diseases of the muscular and joint system, like inflammatory, degenerative changes and cancer lesions of the muscles (multiple sclerosis, tetany, dermatomyositis). They are often the result of excessive and prolonged muscle hyperactivities and excessive work that cause non-physiological loads occurring in temporomandibular joints.

Certainly the most common complaint in this group of patients is muscle pain, which may range from slight tenderness to extreme discomfort. However, the origin of that pain is most often associated with increased levels of muscular use. Clinically this is seen as an inability to open the mouth widely. The restriction may be at any degree of opening depending on where the discomfort is felt. Local muscle soreness is a primary non-inflammatory muscular pain discomfort. It is often the first response of the muscle tissue to prolonged excessive contraction and is the most common type of acute muscle pain in dental practice.

The pain form of the disease is manifested by spontaneous pain in the preaural region, accompanied by pain or tenderness of the mastication muscle. Pain that appears during palpation examination of temporomandibular joints is frequently not related to inflammation of the soft tissue around the temporomandibular joints, as it is claimed by several authors of the paper. The cause of this problem is a long-term overload of soft tissue causally associated with excessive muscle tension, that sometimes even persists for years.

Due to an etiological factor, very important information associated with emotional tension and stress as well as sleep disturbances in relation to other pain complaints were verified.

The aim of the study was to carry out a retrospective assessment of the frequency of the pain form of functional disorders based on the analysis of medical records (results of a physical examination and a specialized functional test) of patients treated at the Consulting Room of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction.