الفهرس 
EMBRIOLOGY OF THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINTOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
T
emporomandibular joint disorder is a collective term embracing a broad spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms including; pain, joint sounds (clicking or crepitation), impairment of masticatory muscles function, orofacial pain and limited jaw movements.
The etiology of TMD has been considered to be one of the most controversial issues in clinical dentistry. One of the conflicts that have attracted most attention has been the role of occlusion in TMD signs and symptoms.
Scientific evidence to support a primary etiologic factor in functional disturbances of the joint is absent. The clinical symptoms, the dysfunctions and the pathological changes together with the short and long term results of the various treatments employed, reflect the complex etiologic background of this dysfunction. The clinical symptoms as a whole of the TMJ disturbances do not give the picture of a single disease but of a pathological condition. Therefore, interpretation of this condition in different patients with regard to possible initiating factors is very difficult.
It is still unclear whether malocclusion is considered to play a role in the aetiology of TMD. To answer this question, this study is conducted among dental students of Ain Shams University to evaluate the prevalence of signs and symptoms of TMD and its association with different types of malocclusion.
The students are requested to answer a questionnaire followed by systematic clinical examination to asses the objective signs. Occlusal factors included; maxillary protrusion, mandibular prognathism, deep bite, posterior crossbite, and various occlusal contacts as; balancing side contact and posterior protrusive contact.
The results showed that the overall prevalence of temporomandibular disorders was 32%, and it was found that TMD signs and symptoms were mostly associated with deep bite, mediotrusive contact, crowding and slides to centric.
Although the role of occlusion is minor in the aetiology of TMD, it cannot be neglected, and should be evaluated during examination of the TMD patients.