TMD and orthodontics. A clinical guide for the orthodontist

Abstract

It is my great honor to review TMD and orthodontics by Sanjivan Kandasamy, Charles Greene, Donald Rinchuse, and John Stockstill. These editors are all well known and have published numerous articles related to this topic. They assembled a team of world-renowned experts in this field to contribute to this book, including Daniel Laskin, Jeffrey Okeson, and many more. This collection presents evidenced-based answers for some of the most controversial topics in clinical orthodontics. During my oral medicine training, many patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) were referred from the orthodontic department. These patients typically asked 2 questions. The first question was when could they start orthodontic treatment? The other was whether they had to have orthodontic treatment to prevent a relapse of the TMD. These questions eventually got me interested in orthodontics, and I became an orthodontist. I still encounter patients who had “special” TMD treatment, including, for example, some kind of mandibular repositioning appliances, and they now have posterior open bite and are asking what would be the next step. TMD can be a confusing topic. There are many different opinions on everything from etiology to treatment. However, too many of these opinions are based purely on anecdotal experience and not on scientific evidence. This book consists of 10 chapters, including static and functional anatomy of the human masticatory system, etiology and classification, screening orthodontic patients for TMD, psychological considerations, sleep bruxism, orthodontics and TMD, idiopathic/progressive condylar resorption, management of TMD signs and symptoms, surgical management of TMJ problems, and medicolegal considerations. I found the chapter on orthodontics and TMD, written by Kandasamy and Rinchuse, to be especially helpful because it answered many questions that I had. The topics covered include occlusion, malocclusion and TMD, centric relation dilemma, functional occlusion and orthodontics, articulators for orthodontic diagnosis, TMJ sounds, internal derangements, and recapturing discs. All the information in this book is important and helpful; however, just for this chapter alone, this book is worthwhile to have. This book provides evidence-based information and guidance to orthodontists for managing TMD problems. I highly recommend it to every orthodontist who is dealing with TMD patients.