Sleep disorders are considered a significant risk factor for the onset and development of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs); additionally, sleep disorders contribute to generating a proinflammatory state and central sensitization, which can cause temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. A 50‐year‐old female patient reported pain near the left ear to the dental clinic. Her medical history includes a sleep disorder, stress, and anxiety. After analyzing her medical records, clinical findings, and imaging studies, an inflammatory‐degenerative process was diagnosed in the left TMJ. The treatment administered was arthrocentesis, which relieved the pain for a period of 13 months. This clinical case report is aimed at highlighting the association between sleep disorders and TMDs, to generate multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary clinical protocols that lead to accurate diagnosis and efficient treatment plans.
Zumba et al. (Thu,) studied this question.