ABSTRACT
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) arthritis affects the joint and the surrounding musculature. Like any other joints, causes of temporomandibular joint arthritis could be rheumatoid arthritis, osteo arthritis, or psoriatic arthritis. Severity of the disease differs from each other ranging from mild to severe. In case of temporomandibular joint trauma, it may lead to degeneration of the joint which may result in ankylosis of the joint if it is left untreated. In case of inflammatory arthropathies, even after the treatment, inflammation of the joint still persists. To suppress the inflammation, patients can be prescribed immunosuppressive treatment. Long term use of immunosuppressants is deleterious and may lead to failure of organs. One more adverse effect of immunosuppressive drugs is that it makes the patient prone for infections if the patient undergoes surgery. Symptoms of temporomandibular joint arthritis include pain on involved side, restricted mouth opening, and difficulty in eating. Origin of pain may be from the joint itself or from the muscles attached to it or from both. The patient will complain of mild to severe pain. The objective of this study is to assess TMJ arthritis in those with above said inflammatory arthropathies. This article is to highlight the peculiarities of TMJ arthritis secondary to those inflammatory arthropathies and how to best manage these ailments, which should guide when referral to a specialist TMJ surgeon is appropriate. The aim of this review is to discuss about the various causes of TMJ arthritis, etiopathogenesis, clinical features, investigations and the management of temporomandibular joint Arthritis.