TMD 1 article

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of conditions involving the jaw joints, masticatory muscles and related structures. Pain, clicking, locking, restricted opening and altered mandibular movement need to be interpreted with history and examination because similar symptoms can arise from different mechanisms. Initial care is often conservative and may include education, self-management or selected splint use, while persistent or complex pain can require specialist input. Jaw-joint and masticatory-muscle disorders define the discussion, which stays separate from mucosal disease, odontogenic pain and unrelated facial-pain conditions.