title: Tinnitus with temporomandibular joint disorders: a specific entity of tinnitus patients?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tinnitus is frequently associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. However, the nature of the relationship is not fully understood. Here the authors compared 30 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of temporomandibular joint dysfunction and tinnitus to a group of 61 patients with tinnitus but without any subjective complaints of TMJ dysfunction with respect to clinical and demographic characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tinnitus patients with and without TMJ dysfunction presenting at the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and th: Tinnitus Clinic at the University of Regensburg.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tinnitus patients with TMJ disorder had better hearing function (P < .0005), lower age (P = .001), and lower age at tinnitus onset (P = .002) and were more frequently female (P = .003). Their subjectively perceived tinnitus loudness was lower (P = .01), and more of them could modulate their tinnitus by jaw or neck movements (P = .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Classical risk factors for tinnitus (age, male gender, hearing loss) are less relevant in tinnitus patients with TMJ disorder, suggesting a causal role of TMJ pathology in the generation and maintenance of tinnitus. Based on this finding, treatment of TMJ disorder may represent a causally oriented treatment strategy for tinnitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. veronika.vielsmeier@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vielsmeier
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kleinjung
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strutz
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bürgers
authors.forename: Peter Michael
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Kreuzer
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langguth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology