The role of surgery in the management of chronic temporomandibular joint pain.

Abstract

Although most painful conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can be managed non-surgically, when such treatment fails, surgery is often recommended as an alternative. The success of surgery depends on accurate diagnosis, an understanding of which conditions are amenable to operation, and knowing what to do and when to do it. This article provides the information needed by the clinician to determine when surgery should be done for chronic TMJ pain and what can be accomplished by such treatment.