title: Electronic thermography for the assessment of acute temporomandibular joint pain.
abstract: Electronic thermography (ET) has the potential to be a nonionizing, noninvasive, low-cost diagnostic alternative for evaluating temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. This study was designed to evaluate the use of ET as a diagnostic aid in the assessment of patients with acute TMJ pain. Computer measurements made using facial thermography were able to distinguish normal patient populations from symptomatic patients with acute TMJ pain. Additional studies are needed before thermographic diagnosis of TMJ disorders will be clinically accepted.
authors.affiliation: UCLA School of Dentistry, USA.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kalili
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gratt
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*