Relationship between Somatic Tinnitus and Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Signs and Symptoms

Background and Aim: To investigate the possible relationship(s) between somatic tinnitus and temporomandibular joint dysfunction symptoms. Subjects and Methods: This study was carried out on a total of 318 randomly-selected patients (mean age 44.35± 16.38), who admitted to the Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology for routine dental treatment between November 2005 and 2008. 151 of the patients had tinnitus complaint, whereas 167 of them were symptom-free. The patients were evaluated for the use of prostheses, bruxism, otalgia, loss of posterior teeth and findings of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, as a possible cause of tinnitus. The TMJ examination also included: TMJ sounds; TMJ pain during palpation; pain on masticatory muscles on palpation; and deviation and limitation on mouth opening. Results: It was observed that tinnitus was significantly associated with age, bruxism, otalgia, loss of posterior teeth, pain in masticatory muscles, TMJ pain, and existence of TMJ sounds (p<0.05). On the other hand, no significant relationship was observed between tinnitus and the use of partial dentures, and deviation during jaw movements (p>0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that TMJ symptoms and the complaint of somatic tinnitus should be taken into account during differential diagnosis.