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TMJ Diseases & Disorders - Basics - Who is affected by TMJ Diseases/Disorders?
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Who is affected by TMJ Diseases/Disorders?
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicates that over 10 million people in the United States suffer from TMJ problems at any given time. Both men and women experience TMJ problems; however, 90 percent of those seeking treatment are women in their childbearing years.
Recent research indicates that more women seek medical care for a TMJ problem than men, and women are more likely than men to report ongoing pain. Physiological differences in pain signal processing may explain why more women suffer from TMJ conditions than men.
- In baboon studies, estrogen receptors were found in the temporomandibular joints of the female baboons, none were found in the males.
- Recent research has focused attention on the relationship between sex
hormones and pain. A study conducted by Dr. Linda LeResche, University of Washington
in Seattle, demonstrated that women on hormone replacement therapy were 77% more
likely to seek treatment for jaw pain than those not undergoing such treatment.
Also, women on oral contraceptive therapy were 19% more likely to seek treatment.
Evidence is emerging in support of a biological explanation for why there are more
women suffering from TMJ pain.
- A study done by Dr. Peter Waite, University of Alabama at Birmingham "demonstrates a high incidence of TMJ dysfunction among Mitral Valve Prolapse patients and leads to a suspicion of a common connective tissue disorder." In an unrelated survey conducted by the Society for Mitral Valve Prolapse Syndrome, of 240 patients surveyed 51% had also been diagnosed with TMJ.