Maxillofacial Musculoskeletal Diseases

Musculoskeletal diseases are a heterogeneous group of diseases/disorders/ syndromes, deriving its origin from cartilage/bone, muscle, nerve and blood vessels and affecting all age groups. Its variegated composition leads to overlap of symptoms, multisystem involvement and a chronic course coexisting with metabolic and aging diseases. All these make musculoskeletal diseases a major health issue influencing the quality of life. Further, oral manifestations of these diseases are a significant component that adds on to its severity and disability levels. However, there have been fewer attempts to bring these disease groups under a common umbrella in terms of their clinical strategies and rehabilitation protocols. This paper mainly focuses on the oral/dental features of these diseases as a separate entity of maxillofacial musculoskeletal diseases. It also reviews its contemporary and future treatment options with the objective of rendering comprehensive care through a multidisciplinary approach.