Chronic Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction: A Condition for a Multidisciplinary Approach

Chronic temporomandibular joint dysfunction is a common pathological condition affecting the joint(s) and the associated muscles of mastication. It may be clinically expressed as unilateral or bilateral pain of the related area, diminished mouth opening, various sounds of the joints and occasionally ear symptoms. The etiology constitutes the radix of the treatment. Therefore, education and assessment of a broad spectrum of predisposing and promoting factors would lead to a more specific treatment plan. The management of the chronic temporomandibular joint dysfunction could be simple or complex. The choice of the treatment, based on the etiology, may be characterized as psychological or operational. The conservative treatment is beneficial in most of the cases. This literature review focused on the pathogenesis and the management of this complex clinical entity.