Association between temporomandibular disorders and asymmetrical articular eminence

Articular eminence (AE) can lead to rapid degeneration due to heavy occlusal loads. Asymmetrical AE is common in individuals with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). It is also associated with gender, age, occlusion, missing teeth, and sleep bruxism. Therefore, further research is required to analyze the relationship between these conditions and asymmetrical AE, and we examined the associations between TMD diagnoses and asymmetrical AE inclination. This research implemented a cross-sectional study in the diagnosis process using diagnostic criteria for TMD and transcranial radiographs from 70 subjects (14 male and 56 female) aged 20 years and older. A one-way analysis of variance was used to determine the association between TMD diagnoses and asymmetrical AE. An independent t-test was used to determine the association between gender, age, occlusion, missing teeth, and sleep bruxism to asymmetrical AE. A chi-square test was used to determine the influence of gender, age, occlusion, missing teeth, and sleep bruxism in association with TMD diagnoses. A logistic regression multivariate test was used to determine which factors are the most influential to asymmetrical AE. The TMD diagnosis is related to asymmetrical AE. A post hoc test showed significant values in intraarticular disorders and combination disorders. Gender and age were associated with TMD diagnoses. Based on a multivariate test, TMD diagnoses were the most influential factor in asymmetrical AE, with an odds ratio of 9.75 for intraarticular disorders and 4.13 for muscle disorders. TMD diagnoses are significantly associated with asymmetrical AE. TMD with intraarticular and muscle disorders are 9.75 times more likely to cause asymmetrical AE compared with TMD with muscle disorders.