Is there any correlation between malocclusion, temporomandibular disorders, and systemic disease? The importance of differential diagnosis

Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) is the leading cause of pain in the orofacial region, including the head, face and related structures. The etiology and pathophysiology of TMD are poorly understood. It is generally accepted that the etiology is multifactorial. The study analyses the correlation between temporo-mandibular joint disfunction and systemic diseases. One hundred and five adult patients were asked to complete a survey in which factors as the age and the gender were considered. The questions were about the typical symptoms of temporomandibular disorders, fibromyalgia and arthritis. The answers to our questionnaire revealed that the only statistically significative correlation was malocclusion, fibromyalgia and cervical pain, not arthritis.