by Reda A. Abdel-Fattah, DDS

A comprehensive tool for evaluating and managing temporomandibular injury cases, this guide is divided into five detailed sections:

Section I includes an overview of the basic sciences (embryological, anatomical and biomechanical) involved in managing temporomandibular injuries.

Section II details the concept of injury – including contributing factors, the mechanism of injury and bodily response to injury.

Section III explains the evaluation process – from taking the patient history to performing clinical examination and confirming the diagnostic impression with diagnostic aids.

Section IV focuses on injury management through urgent, rehabilitative therapy, adjunctive treatment and the corrective processes.

Section V reveals medico-legal issues involved in handling these injuries, e.g. reviewing records, estimating permanent impairment, writing a report, and discusses preparation for the litigation process for both health care and legal professionals.