Temporomandibular Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is characterized by pain, dysfunction, and distress in the masticatory muscles and/or temporomandibular joints and associated structures. Despite its high prevalence in children and adolescents, exceeding 20%, TMD has not been extensively studied. Therefore, this review aimed to establish an overview of TMD in children and adolescents and describe its diagnosis and treatment. TMD more predominantly occurs in girls and has multifactorial etiologies, with several risk factors interacting differently at the individual level. TMD is associated with poor oral health-related quality of life and abnormal facial growth. The Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) assessment protocol is used to diagnose TMD in young patients, and TMD can be effectively managed with conservative therapies such as patient education, home care, physical therapy, occlusal appliance therapy, and pharmacotherapy. During routine dental checkups, pediatric dentists can identify TMD in children and adolescents to reduce the occurrence of complications due to its chronic progression.