Author(s): Edward F. Wright and Sandra L. Bifano
Shulman' reported that a temporomandibular disorder (TMD) can be the etiology for subjective idiopathic tinnitus (SIT) and speculated that one of the problems physicians have in identifying TMD's role in SIT is due to the difficulty in diagnosing TMD.' TMD encompasses a collection of medical and dental conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), masticatory muscles and/or contiguous structures. These conditions are linked by their common signs and symptoms which include one or more of the following: pain or tenderness of the masticatory muscles and/or the TMJ, sounds in the TMJ during jaw movement, and/or limitation of opening.
