Association between tooth loss and TMJ dysfunction

An analysis of the distribution of tooth losses in 521 subjects having lost one to fourteen teeth, disclosed a statistically significant association between the loss of maxillary first premolar and the presence of TMJ dysfunction. The association was evident on both sides. Maxillary first premolars have earlier been shown to contact prematurely on hinge closure more often than the other teeth. The loss of other teeth seemed independent of the functional state of the stomatognathic system. It is suggested that TMJ dysfunction may predispose to the loss of the maxillary first premolar by direct trauma to the tooth and/or by speeding up periodontitis.