Latika B. Chopra
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a very common problem affecting up to 33% of individuals within their lifetime. It is a musculoskeletal disorder within the masticatory system. Many practitioners refer to TMD as a single disorder in spite of the fact that patients have various sub-diagnoses. Many severe TMD/Orofacial patients develop symptoms over many years, often starting with mild non-painful clicking of the jaws or tightness in the jaw/head/neck muscles. The goals of TMD management include decrease in pain, decrease in adverse pressure or loading on the jaw joints, restoration of function of the jaw and normal daily activities. These goals are best achieved by identifying all contributing factors and implementation of a well-defined management program to treat physical and emotional/psychological factors.