Temporomandibular Joint Disorder from a Perspective of Gerodontology

The final years of the current decade (2000-2010), which were dedicated to bone and joint diseases by the World Health Organization, are the right time to pay attention to musculoskeletal diseases of the orofacial system. A basic concept related to TMDs is the attempt to include musculoskeletal disorders of the stomatognathic system into the functional schematics of disorders appearing elsewhere in the body. Apart from the general knowledge on ageing, undergraduate dental students should be taught about anticipating needs, planning and implementing treatment and the subsequent care of the elderly prosthodontic patients. The clinical picture of TMJ functional disturbances may range from physiological variability of joint structures functioning (sometimes painless joint sound) to painful condition with pronounced clinical signs of TMJ disorder.