Headache improvement through TMD stabilization appliance and self-management therapies

Current Trends in the Management of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction: A Review

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a synovial bi-condylar joint with 3 degrees of freedom. One-third of the adult population reportedly suffers from temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). Females are more commonly affected than males. Almost 50% of TMD patients do not require any intervention, and the symptoms are self-limiting within one year after the onset; however, 75-80% of adults suffering from TMD require medical intervention and it takes up to three years for the complete remission of the symptoms. The clinical features of TMD are clenching, clicking, and locking of the jaw, and occlusion due to faulty posture. Based on the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorder (DC/TMD) criteria proposed in the year 2014, the classification of TMD is done based on axis I and axis II diagnoses. This review aims to provide an overview of TMD and examine available treatment strategies for TMD. Various conservative treatment methods have been proven to be effective, including self-care strategies, dental treatment strategies, pharmacological treatment, physical therapy modalities, manual mobilization, electrotherapy and dry needling, relaxation techniques, intra-articular injections, cognitive behavioral therapy, and surgical corrections.

Measuring Changes in Jaw Opening Forces to Assess the Degree of Improvement in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders

Background: Currently, the degree of improvement in patients with TMDs is measured through subjective questionnaires and clinical examination This study aimed to investigate the properties of an objective quantitative measure of jaw-opening forces to assess clinical improvement in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients following treatment. Methods: Baseline jaw-opening forces were recorded for TMD-patients (n = 62) and a comparison group of TMD-free participants (n = 56), using a jaw-opening forces measuring device. TMD patients were divided into three subcategories (myofascial pain, disc-displacement, and myofascial pain and disc-displacement combined) and received a combination of treatment for six months; meanwhile, TMD-free participants did not receive treatment. Jaw-opening forces for each participant in both groups were measured at their six-month review appointment. Results: Jaw-opening forces were reliable at baseline (single measure ICC 0.98, 95% CI 0.97–0.98, ICC ≥ 0.94 for all groups and subcategories). Jaw-opening forces increased in the TMD group following treatment at six-months (18.6 N at baseline and 32.4 N at six-months, p < 0.001) and did not change significantly in the TMD-free group (49 N at baseline and 48.3 N at six-months). There was a small improvement in the disc displacement group (27.8% higher forces, p = 0.002). However, the myofascial-pain and myofascial-pain-and-disc-displacement groups showed significant improvement following treatment (93.5% higher forces, p < 0.001; 91.1% higher forces, p < 0.001; respectively). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the measurement of jaw-opening forces could potentially be used to assess the clinical improvement in TMD patients following diagnosis and treatment.

Increased Risk of Migraine in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorder: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study Using a National Health Screening Cohort

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and migraine through a longitudinal follow-up study using population data from a national health screening cohort. Methods: This cohort study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort from 2002 to 2015. Of the 514,866 participants, 3884 TMD patients were matched at a 1:4 ratio with 15,536 control participants. Crude models and models adjusted for obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores were calculated. Chi-squared test, Kaplan–Meier analysis, and two-tailed log-rank test were used for statistical analysis. Stratified Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for migraine in both control groups. Results: The adjusted HR for migraine was 2.10 (95% CI: 1.81–2.44) in the TMD group compared to the control group, which was consistent in subgroup analyses according to age, sex, and Kaplan–Meier analysis. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that TMD patients have a higher risk of migraine. These results suggest that dentists can decrease the risk of migraine in TMD patients by managing TMD properly.

Self-reported aural symptoms, headache and temporomandibular disorders in Japanese young adults

BACKGROUND

To investigate the associations of aural symptoms, headache and depression with the presence of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms in a young adult population in Japan.

METHODS

A personal interview survey was conducted on first-year university students (n = 1,930) regarding symptoms of TMD, aural problems, headache, shoulder pain and depression. Logistic regression was applied to assess the associations of these problems with the presence of TMD symptoms after controlling for age and gender.

RESULTS

Among the 1,930 students, 543 students exhibited TMD symptoms and were classified into 7 groups: clicking only (Group I, n = 319), pain in the TMJ only (Group II, n = 21), difficulty in mouth opening only (Group III, n = 18), clicking and pain (Group IV, n = 29), clicking and difficulty in mouth opening (Group V, n = 48), difficulty in mouth opening and pain (Group VI, n = 11), and combination of three symptoms (Group VII, n = 97). The control group (n = 1,387) were subjects without any TMD symptoms. After adjusting for age and gender, a strong association was observed between TMD symptoms (Group II and IV) and tinnitus (OR = 12.1 and 13.2, respectively). TMD symptoms (Group I, II and III) were also associated with vertigo and headache. Otalgia and depression were significantly associated with the presence of clicking only.

CONCLUSIONS

TMD symptoms were significantly correlated to aural symptoms and headache. A functional evaluation of the stomatognathic system should be considered in subjects with unexplained aural symptoms and headache.

Temporomandibular disorders dysfunction in headache patients

OBJECTIVE

To identify the frequency of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and its severity in individuals with headache.

STUDY DESIGN

60 adults divided into three groups of 20 individuals: chronic daily headache (CDH), episodic headache (EH) and a control group without headache (WH). Headache diagnosis was performed according to the criteria of International Headache Society and the signs and symptoms of TMD were achieved by using a clinical exam and an anamnestic questionnaire. The severity of TMD was defined by the temporomandibular index (TMI).

RESULTS

The TMD signs and symptoms were always more frequent in individuals with headache, especially report of pain in TMJ area (CDH, n=16; EH, n=12; WH, n=6), pain to palpation on masseter (CDH, n=19; EH, n=16; WH, n=11) which are significantly more frequent in episodic and chronic daily headache. The mean values of temporomandibular and articular index (CDH patients) and muscular index (CDH and EH patients) were statistically higher than in patients of the control group, notably the articular (CDH=0.38; EH=0.25;WH=0.19) and muscular (CDH=0.46; EH=0.51; WH=0.26) indices.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings allow us to speculate that masticatory and TMJ pain are more common in headache subjects. Besides, it seems that the TMD is more severe in headache patients.

Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders related to the degree of mouth opening and hearing loss

Background

The temporomandibular joint is a unique bi-condylar joint involved in mastication and speech. Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) have a range of symptoms, including aural symptoms, and are present in approximately 75% of normal populations. The present study examined the relationship between signs and symptoms of TMD and mouth opening, gender, joint and aural symptoms, and hearing loss.

Methods

The study involved 464 healthy Greek university students (156 men and 308 women) with a mean age of 19.6 years. Age, gender and maximum mouth opening was recorded. Mouth opening was measured using Vernier calipers. An anamnestic questionnaire was used to stratify the subjects into four groups based on TMD severity. Aural symptoms and an audiogram were recorded for each subject too. Data were analyzed using multifactor ANOVA, chi-square, t-test, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Results

The overall incidence of TMD signs and symptoms was 73.3%. The incidence and severity was greater in females than males (p-value 0.0001 < 0.05). The number of aural symptoms was associated to the TMD severity (p-value 0.0001 < 0.05) as well as maximum mouth opening (p-value 0.004 < 0.05). Audiometry showed that moderate and severe TMD was associated with hearing loss of median and low tones respectively (p-value 0.0001 < 0.05). TMJ pain (p-value 0.0001 < 0.05), TMJ ankylosis (p-value 0.0001 < 0.05), bruxism (p-value 0.0001 < 0.05) and ear itching (p-value 0.0001 < 0.05) were also found to be statistically different between TMD and non-TMD subjects.

Conclusions

TMD signs and symptoms were more common and severe in females than males. TMD severity is correlated with the degree of mouth opening and the number of aural symptoms. The absence or presence of mild TMD are associated with normal audiograms while moderate and severe TMD are related to hearing loss in median and low tones respectively. Bruxism, joint ankylosis, joint pain and ear itching were more common in TMD than non-TMD patients.