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Does clicking in adolescence lead to painful temporomandibular joint locking?
M Könönen1, A Waltimo, M Nyström
1Department of Prosthetic Dentistry; Department of Pedodontics and Orthodontics, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Background:
It has been assumed that clicking of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) may predispose to closed locking. Although jaw clicking is a common complaint, locking of the TMJ is rare.
Methods:
To assess whether clicking is a reliable predictor of locking, we examined longitudinally over 9 years the variation of reported and recorded TMJ clicking in 128 young Finnish adults. Subjects were interviewed and examined at the ages of 14, 15, 18, and 23 years.
Findings:
Reported and recorded TMJ clicking both increased significantly with age, varying from 11% to 31% and from 11% to 34%, respectively, However, clicking showed no predictable pattern, and only a few subjects consistently reported clicking (2%) or had it recorded (2%). None developed locking.
Interpretation:
Because none of the young adults developed locking of the TMJ, we suggest treatment for clicking should be conservative.
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