Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome Treatment & Management

  • Author: Vivian Tsai; Chief Editor: Rick Kulkarni, MD   more...
 
Updated: Jan 13, 2012
 

Emergency Department Care

Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders improve over time with or without treatment for most patients. As many as 50% of the patients have symptomatic improvement in 1 year and 85% in 3 years. Conservative management should be attempted before invasive therapies, such as orthodontics or surgery, are recommended.[8]

  • Analgesics - Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Muscle relaxants - Benzodiazepines
  • Moist heat and massage of masticatory muscles
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Consultations

Provide outpatient follow-up care with ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist or oral surgeon. However, if intractable pain is present, more urgent consultation is necessary.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Vivian Tsai  MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Queens Hospital Center

Vivian Tsai is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Phi Beta Kappa

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Richard H Sinert, DO  Professor of Emergency Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Research Director, State University of New York College of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Kings County Hospital Center

Richard H Sinert, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Steven M Heffer, MD  Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Greenwich Hospital

Steven M Heffer, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Jerome FX Naradzay, MD, FACEP  Medical Director, Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Maria Parham Hospital; Medical Examiner, Vance County, North Carolina

Jerome FX Naradzay, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Gino A Farina, MD, FACEP, FAAEM  Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Program Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Long Island Jewish Medical Center

Gino A Farina, MD, FACEP, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Rick Kulkarni, MD  Attending Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

Additional Contributors

The authors and editors of Medscape Reference gratefully acknowledge the contributions of previous author, Joshua Parnes, MD, to the development and writing of this article.

References

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  19. Pharaboz C, Carpentier P. [MR imaging of the temporomandibular joints]. J Radiol. May 2009;90(5 Pt 2):642-8. [Medline].

  20. Weinerger BW. Introduction to the History of Dentistry. St. Louis: CV Mosby Co; 1948:390.

 
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