Documented instance of restored conductive hearing loss

The relationship between temporomandibular joint dysfunction and hearing disorders has long been recognized by some healthcare providers (1,2). Fonder reports that "chronic low-grade otitis media is a constant finding in patients who have a disturbance of the stomatognathical structures due to malocclusion" (3). Fingeroth stated that "a constricted maxillary dental arch frequently results in a decrease in nasal permeability...and within this environment a conductive hearing loss may be present" (4). Histological studies confirm the intimate relationship between the TMJ, the tympanic cavity and the eustachian tube (5,6). Nevertheless, craniomandibular origins are frequently overlooked in the medical profession as possible causes for hearing problems. The following case illustrates this point.