Author Archives: TMJAStaff2

Especially during this past year, it’s been brought to our attention by a number of TMJ implant patients having their implants removed that their surgeon told them the devices MUST be returned to the manufacturer. We asked the Senate Health, Educ…

Those who suffer from Temporomandibular Disorders also referred to as TMJ or TMD, may find it impossible to maintain the responsibilities associated with full-time work activity. Some of the symptoms associated with Temporomandibular Disorder, such as …

This month we present the last set of findings from “Act Two” of the Oral Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study. [The Journal of Pain, Volume 14, Issue 12, Supplement, December 2013, pp. T1-T124.] Recall that thes…

Last month we began our report on findings in OPPERA’s Act Two,” the second series of analyses of data from the Orofacial Pain Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study, which enrolled healthy volunteers at four campus sites in Chapel Hill, NC; Baltimore; MD; Buffalo, NY; and Gainesville, FL. Follow-up questionnaires were available from 2,737 enrollees, and clinical examinations in the course of the study documented that 260 of these people developed first-onset TMD.

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A recent posting on the TMJA website included the following request: “I wonder if you could include something in a future newsletter about the romantic/sexual side effects of TMD which I feel aren’t talked about much but are pretty relevant.” (http://www.tmj.org/site/blogs/tmj-disorders/2013-08-14-1). She went on to describe some of her own experiences.

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Investigators analyzing the data collected in the long-running clinical study Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) have now published their findings comparing individuals, all of whom were TMD free at the start of the stu…

For at least 50 years, most dentists have told their TMJ patients that grinding or clenching of their teeth is a major factor in the cause and persistence of their facial pain. Consequently, many patients accept this to be true. If a sleep partner tell…

Two articles in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery report: 1) a high number of metal allergies in Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) patients needing total replacement of their TM joints and 2) one year follow-up data comparing patien…

Hypersensitivity to TMJ implant materials is an issue that we are frequently hearing from TMJ patients. Given this concern we contacted Marco Caicedo, Ph.D., Senior Scientists and COO at Orthopedic Analysis in Chicago, IL. Orthopedic Analysis is an ind…

Scientists conducted a systematic review published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation which looked at whether or not there is a relationship between TMD and head and cervical posture. The following is a summary:

“The objective of this systematic review was to find sufficient evidence to deny or accept the association between the head and cervical posture and Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs), and thus assist health professionals in the evaluation and treatment of patients with TMDs.

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Because pain is a subjective experience, patients are often asked to describe their pain in words. The result is a rich set of adjectives like sharp, dull, burning, and throbbing. In particular, a throbbing quality often describes pain that is severe a…