INCIDENCE OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT DISORDERS IN PATIENTS SEEN AT A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM

A retrospective survey of a hospital emergency room population seen at an oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic during a 6-month period foun d 62 patients (2.7% of the total population) with temporomandibular jo int disorders. The diagnoses were myofascial pain-dysfunction/temporom andibular joint dysfunction (MPD/TMJ) syndrome (70.9% of the cases) an d dislocation (luxation) (22.5% of the cases). The chief complaint was well defined in relation to the diagnoses: facial pain in the MPD/TMJ syndrome cases, and displacement of the mandible in the dislocation c ases.