Is temporomandibular joint (TMJ) clicking a risk factor for pain in the affected TMJ?

Aims. To investigate the association between TMJ clicking and pain in the affected TMJ. Patients and methods. In this study a total of 454 consecutive patients seeking treatment for their pain in the region of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or the masticatory muscles were recruited. Patients were examined using the German version of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMJ-G). Clicking in the clinical examination was considered the potential risk factor (exposure). The outcome was pain in the TMJ. To characterize the exposure-outcome association, a relative risk was calculated using a stratified analysis (Mantel-Haenszel method). Result. The relative risk of developing pain in the TMJ due to joint clicking was 0.9 (95% confidence interval: 0.8-1.1). Thus, no association between clinical TMJ clicking and pain in the affected TMJ could be found. Conclusion. Based on these results, TMJ clicking requires no treatment to prevent pain in the affected TMJ.