Last month we began our report on findings in OPPERA's Act Two," the second series of analyses of data from the Orofacial Pain Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA) study, which enrolled healthy volunteers at four campus sites in Chapel Hill, NC; Baltimore; MD; Buffalo, NY; and Gainesville, FL. Follow-up questionnaires were available from 2,737 enrollees, and clinical examinations in the course of the study documented that 260 of these people developed first-onset TMD.

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Two articles in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery report: 1) a high number of metal allergies in Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) patients needing total replacement of their TM joints and 2) one year follow-up data comparing patients with metal allergies treated with all titanium total joint replacements (considered non-allergenic) with non-allergic patients treated with standard cobalt-chromium replacements joints.

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One of our readers recently brought to our attention a topic that arises occasionally from other TMD patients and we might add, their significant others—intimacy.

"Hi TMJA, I'm a big fan of your website and newsletters and have found both helpful and reassuring. I wonder if you could include something in a future newsletter about the romantic/sexual side effects of TMD which I feel aren't talked about much but are pretty relevant.

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Patients should be cautious when considering TMD treatments that claim to provide relief by correcting occlusal and postural abnormalities. Not only can these treatments be extensive and expensive, but, more importantly, scientific literature does not support them. Instead, the literature concludes that a mechanical approach to treating TMD by means of irreversible methods such as occlusal adjustments, full mouth dental reconstructions, or orthodontics is not justified from a scientific viewpoint. Here are the latest studies regarding this topic:

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What is Magnesium?

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Dental occlusion, body posture and temporomandibular disorders: where we are now and where we are heading for
Manfredini D, Castroflorio T, Perinetti G, Guarda-Nardini L. Oral Rehabilitation, 2012.

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TMJA Survey Results

• The individuals affected by Temporomandibluar Joint Disorders (TMD) were on average 41 years of age and predominantly female (90%).
• Nearly 60% of both men and women reported recent pain of moderate-to-severe intensity with a quarter of them indicating interference or termination of work-related activities.

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