Management of painful Temporomandibular disorder in adults. NHS England Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) and Royal College of Surgeons’ Faculty of Dental Surgery

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are the second most common cause of orofacial pain after “toothache”
(odontogenic pain).[1] They affect up to 1 in 15 of the UK population and predominantly arise in the 20-40 age
range. [1, 2] Females are marginally more likely to develop TMD than males and there are US data suggesting that
TMD incidence is higher in black ethnic groups and lower in Asian ethnic groups when compared to white ethnic
groups, however much more worldwide research is required to understand all aspects of TMD in different ethnic
groups.[1-3] TMD are a group of musculoskeletal conditions that affect the muscles of mastication, the
temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and associated structures.[4]