This totally new book is focused on answering a single broad question: What is currently happening in various research areas that will be clinically applicable to the management of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) in the near future? Clearly, much of the information discovered about musculoskeletal disorders through the application of new research tools and innovative experimental designs can be directly or indirectly applied to the TMJ. However, many dental clinicians are unaware of this type of information because it is presented mainly in medical publications or nonclinical scientific journals. This book bridges the gap for the clinician, applying the latest scientific research to the clinical treatment of TMDs, with focus on the anatomy, biochemistry, neurophysiology, and psychology of the common disorders. Each chapter discusses present knowledge in the particular field before explaining how it may apply to the diagnosis and treatment of TMD patients. In addition, every chapter provides an overview of new research in the field and its potential for changing future patient care. Covering such clinically relevant topics as the relation of abnormal joint function to joint pathology, the prediction of treatment responsiveness, how sleep disorders affect TMJ and facial pain, the role of comorbid conditions in pain response and management, and the evolving field of pharmacotherapeutics, this book is sure to transform the way clinicians think about TMDs and how they approach TMD treatment.
