Abstract
Temporomandibular disorder is sometimes associated with otic symptoms such as tinnitis and dizziness. It has been remained to be resolved that temporomandibular disorder causes these symptoms or a common disorder like stress causes temporomandibular disorder and these symptoms simultaneously.
Recent statistic studies have elucidated that temporomandibular disorder accompanies otic symptoms significantly. Other studies have elucidated that a population of patients with temporomandibular disorder improves otic symptoms after therapy of temporomandibular disorder. The causal association between temporomandibular disorder and otic symptoms has been recently re-evaluated. Although many hypotheses have been advocated since Costen reported otic symptoms dependent upon distrubed function of the temporomandibular joint in 1934, none of them have got universal acceptance. The mechanism of tinnitus and dizziness as well as that of temporomandibular disorder has been unclear. Diverse disorders can cause tinnitus and dizziness as well as temporomandibular disorder. These reasons make it difficult to understand the causal association.
We used pure tone audiogram and tympanometry and evaluated patients of temporomandibular disorder with or without tinnitus, because dizziness tends to improve with time. However, our study cannot find any audiometric differences between two groups. To elucidate the causal association between temporomandibular disorder and tinnitus, cooperation between dentist and otolaryngologist will be essential. Dentists need more knowledge of tinnitus and dizziness, while otolaryngologists need more knowledge of temporomandibular disorder. From the standpoint of an otolaryngologist, fundamental knowledge of tinnitus and dizziness is stated to be essential for dentists to diagnose on temporomandibular disorder.
