Incidence of symptoms and signs of TMD following third molar surgery: a controlled, prospective study

The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate if third molar surgery is associated with the development of symptoms and signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) during a 6-month post-operative observation period using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) instrument. Seventy-two subjects eligible for third molar surgery under local anaesthesia (patients) were included. Patients were examined according to the RDC/TMD instrument at baseline, 1 week, 1 and 6 months after surgery. Twenty-five age- and sex-matched healthy non-operative control subjects (controls) were included and examined at baseline and at 6 months. In the patient group, we found: (i) reduced range of maximum jaw opening at one week after surgery (P < 0.001), (ii) increased characteristic pain intensity 1 week after surgery (P < 0.05), (iii) increased disability up to 1 month after surgery (P < 0.05), (iv) increased incidence of muscle pain on palpation up to 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05), (v) increased incidence of pain on palpation of the temporomandibular joint up to 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05) and (vi) increased incidence of painful TMD 6 months after surgery. But, when compared with untreated controls, subjects undergoing third molar surgery have a statistically insignificant increased incidence of TMD 6 months post-operatively.