The Relationship of TMJ Clicking to Palpable Facial Pain

Abstract

A survey of 324 dental students (56 females and 268 males) showed that approximately one-third had clicking in one or both temporomandibular joints. More students had clicking in both joints than in one (56% versus 45%). Gradation of clicking during jaw opening revealed that 30% occurred at early to middle phases and 45% at complete mouth opening. Slight repetitive clicking occurred in 17% of the students and multiple clicking in 9%. Tenderness to palpation was found in the masticatory muscles of 12% of the students. Palpable pain of the external auditory meatus occurred in approximately 1% and joint tenderness upon lateral palpation in nearly 3%. Chi-square testing showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between clicking and palpable pain of the masticatory muscles in those students with these signs and symptoms.