Treatment of TMDs: Bridging the Gap Between Advances in Research and Clinical Patient Management

Book Description

The mechanism by which nociceptive impulses are initiated, transmitted, and perceived as pain is not unique to the masticatory system. This means that much of the information discovered about musculoskeletal disorders through recent research tools and innovative experimental designs can be directly or indirectly applied to the TMJ. However, many dental clinicians are unaware of this type of information because it is presented mainly in medical publications or nonclinical scientific journals. This book bridges the gap for the clinician, applying the latest scientific research to the clinical treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), focusing on the anatomy, biochemistry, neurophysiology, and psychology of the common TMDs. Each chapter discusses present knowledge in the particular field before explaining how it may apply to the diagnosis and treatment of TMD patients. In addition, every chapter provides an overview of current new research in the field and its potential for changing future patient care. Covering such clinically relevant topics as the relation of abnormal joint function to joint pathology, the prediction of treatment responsiveness, how sleep disorders affect facial pain, the role of comorbid conditions in pain response and management, and the evolving field of pharmacotherapeutics, this book is sure to transform the way clinicians think about TMDs and approach TMD treatment.

Contents

Sensory Mechanisms of Orofacial Pain • Pathophysiology of Masticatory Myofascial Pain • Pathophysiology of Intracapsular Inflammation and Degeneration • Comorbid Conditions • Sleep and Pain • Genetic Determinants • Quantitative Sensory Testing • Predicting Treatment Responsiveness • Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of the TMJ • Finite Element Analysis of the TMJ • TMJ Lubrication • Imaging of the TMJ • Imaging Pain • Synovial Fluid Analysis and Biomarkers • TMJ Tissue Engineering • Injection Treatment • Pharmacologic Management