TMD Diagnosis and Management Flashcards
Definition of TMD
TMD is a collective term embracing a number of clinical problems that involve the masticatory muscles, the TMJ and associated structures
What can the aetiology be classified into?
- Parafunction
- Bruxism/clenching/gum chewing - Psychological
- Stress/anxiety/depression/hypervigilance - Pathology
- Trauma/inflammatory disease/neoplasms/arthritides/infection - Occlusion
- Severe skeletal discrepancy/occlusal interferences
What is the diagnostic criteria for TMD involving the muscles of mastication?
- Myalgia (muscle pain) - pain localised to one muscle
- Myofacial pain (muscle and fascia pain ± referral)
- Regional pain involving multiple muscles
- Tender muscles to palpation (usually temporalis or masseter)
- Possible limited mandibular function due to pain
What is the diagnostic criteria for TMD involving the TMJ?
- Arthralgia
- Headache attributed with TMD
- Disc displacement disorders
- Inflammatory disorders: capsulitis, arthritis
- Subluxation/dislocation
- Deviation in form: congenital or developmental
- Ankylosis
- Fracture
- Tumour
Epidemiology of TMD
- 15-30 years - dysfunction
- 40+ years - degenerative
- however, elderly not immune to dysfunction and young not immune to degenerative
- F:M 2:1
What are signs and symptoms relating to muscles of mastication (myalgia, myofacial pain)
- Regional, dull, aching pain
- Masseter and temporalis affected
- Pain at rest, aggravated during function
- May be more painful in the morning
- Limited movement
- Radiated pain - headache, neck, ear
What are the signs and symptoms relating to TMJ arthralgia?
- Localised sharp pain
- Situated in TMJ, surrounding tissues, ear
- Aggravated during loading and function
- Often associated with displaced or dysfunctional articular disk, locking/clicking
- Limitation of movement possible
- TMJ arthritis - crepitus
What are other signs and symptoms associated with TMD
- Pain: most common problem; pre-auricular or referred
- Muscle tenderness
- Joint noises: click or crepitus
- Locking of joint: occasional
- Trismus: on waking, after eating
- Occlusion: variable
- Oral habits: 50% parafunction
What do you look for during a joint examination?
- Pain evoked by digital palpation of TMJ and wide opening
- Joint sounds on opening, closing and excursions
1. Click: movement of disc relative to condyle
2. Crepitus: degenerative disease - Dislocation: produces anterior open/cross bite
What do you look for during a muscle examination?
- Digital palpation of
1. Neck and shoulder muscles
2. E/O muscles of mastication (masseter and temporalis - test attachment to bone only, check for tenderness/hypertrophy)
3. I/O muscles of mastication (lateral pterygoind palpation unsatisfactory - resistance to lateral excursions better)
What do you look for during a functional examination?
- Deviation and pattern of opening
- Locking (malposition/distortion of disc)
- Vertical range of motion
1. maximum pain-free opening
2. maximum possible opening ~3 finger widths
3. maximum pain-free lateral excursion
4. maximum possible lateral excursion
What do you look for during an intraoral examination?
- Examination for bruxism: muscle hypertrophy, fasciculation, tongue scalloping, linear alba, tooth/restoration wear and fracture, dentine sensitivity
- Occlusal derangement
- High restorations
What clinical features of a headache can help associate it with TMD?
- Temporal region
- Dull
- On waking
- No photophobia/nausea
What psychological considerations should be given when assessing TMD?
- Depression: x5 more common in TMD
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Somatoform disorders (including hypochondria)
What is the reversible conservative management that can be done by a GDP?
- Identify cause
- Exclude organic disease
- Pt education and reassurance
- Soft diet; no chewing gum
- Occlusal splints
- Limited mouth opening
- Analgesia
- Heat/cold application
- Behavioural: reduces stress, relaxation techniques, psychotherapy, rest
- Physiotherapy