title: Temporomandibular disorders in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the frequency and character of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in Oriental patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to investigate the relationship between TMD and RA in a tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Symptoms and signs related to TMD were investigated in 80 patients (67 female, 13 male) who fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology 1987 revised criteria for RA. Diagnoses of TMD including muscle, disk displacement, or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders were made based on clinical assessment. TMJ disorder was then correlated with the clinical, laboratory, and radiological features of RA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the study population was 49.7 years and the mean duration of RA was 86.9 months. Eleven patients (13.8%) had active RA at the time of TMD assessment. About 76% of the study population had seropositive disease and 62% had peripheral joint erosions. Osteoarthrosis of the TMJ was the most common TMD in this Oriental population. Joint sounds on opening (35%), joint sounds on moving sideways or forward (27.5%), and pain in jaw joints (23.7%) were common TMD symptoms. Deviated mouth opening (45%) and coarse crepitus (15-21.3%) were most prevalent on examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with RA who had prolonged disease duration of RA and active peripheral joints tended to have osteoarthrosis of the TMJ. Presence of rheumatoid factor or peripheral joint erosions was not associated with TMJ osteoarthrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology/Immunology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. ee_tzun_koh@notes.ttsh.gov.sg
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: A U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Yap
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Chee
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Boudville
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology