Temporomandibular joint disorders in childhood

Abstract

We reviewed temporomandibular joint disorders in childhood, using several references including our own data, with the following results.

･The prevalence of signs and symptoms of TMD in children has not clearly increased in recent decades. The main symptom is a clicking sound starting from low grades in elementary school, which increases gradually in prevalence with age.

･The clicking sound of each child varies as they grow up during elementary school years. The clicking sound persists in the following year in only about half of children. The sound persists among a larger percentage of junior high school children.

･There are some reports that pediatric TMD inhibits the growth of the mandible. It has been shown that this inhibition may occur on the side with articular disc disorder and/or osteoarthrosis of TMD.

By accumulating data through more detailed evaluations on the pediatric version of DC/TMD in future, we intend to conduct a more accurate analysis of temporomandibular joint disorders in childhood.