Degenerative disease of the temporomandibular joint in young persons

The majority of cases of temporomandibular joint pain that are referred to the consultant dental surgeon are diagnosed as pain-dysfunction syndrome, a term first suggested by Schwartz (1959) and now probably the most widely accepted. Another relatively common problem is degenerative disease or osteoarthrosis, and although this generally affects an older age group than pain-dysfunction syndrome, its occurance in the younger patient is by no means a rarity and is further evidence that the two conditions are expressions of the same problem, that is repetitive overloading of the joint. It is proposed that this should be termed mandibular stress syndrome.