ABSTRACT
A segment of the human population suffers from pain in the craniomandibular muscles and has been defined as those exhibiting temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain. Their symptoms are similar to subjects who exhibit chronic muscle pain in other regions, such as the lower back and leg, but are usually referred to the dentist who specializes in temporo mandibular disorders. While factors leading to chronic pain may have common symptoms regardless of the region affected, pain is induced by a series of interwoven mechanisms, which probably relate to the peculiar anatomical aspects of that region, including the temporomandi bular joints and dentition. While pain is a dominating factor that places these subjects in a common category for treatment, the subjects vary as to the condition of the joint, the impairment in mandibular opening, the site and intensity of the pain, the psychological profile, and the association with parafunctional habits and traumatic history of the head and neck. These complementing factors lead to a myriad of subgroups in subjects with temporomandi bular disorders and mean that treatment focuses on multiple levels: physical therapy applied to the muscles and joints; biofeedback and psychological profiles designed to relieve stress and its impact on using the craniomandibular muscles; and various occlusal splints that reposition the mandible and affect the internal structure of the temporomandibular joint and provide a different distribution and level of forces that are developed through the occlusion and joints.
