Etiology of temporomandibular disorders

Abstract

Temporomandibular (TM) disorders include a variety of conditions and disorders of the masticatory muscles and TM joints. As such, it is not appropriate or possible to discuss etiology in terms of a unified theory, as some authors and clinicians have attempted to do in the past. Recent literature reflects this awareness, and most authors now define etiology and treatment of these disorders in terms consistent with their medical counterparts. As with other musculoskeletal disorders, injuries, as well as microtrauma through parafunctional and excess functional stresses, seem to play major roles in etiology.