Clinical findings of 351 out patients having temporomandibular disorders (TMD) treated in the Department of Fixed Prosthodontics, Iwate Medical University Dental Hospital, from 1999 to 2003 were surveyed as to. number of patients every year, gender ratio, age distribution, past treatment history, chief complaints, initial symptoms, initiating factors and accessory signs. The number of TMD patients varied from 52 to 95 each year Peak age distribution was in the 20's followed by the 30's. The male-female ratio was 1 . 2.8, which showed significant difference compared to the clinic as a whole, which has a ratio of 1:1 5 (p<0.05; chi-square test) Referred patients comprised 76.6% of the total number of TMD patients in the surveyed period Although a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sound was the main initial symptom, TMJ pain was the most common symptom in the chief complaint category. This result implies that the single symptom of TMJ sound does not lead a patient to seek treatment at a dental clinic, however, pain in the TMJ and/or masticatory muscle is the key to initiate treatment.
