The importance of the temporomandibular joint in the differential diagnosis of primary headaches and recurrent primary headaches

Abstract

ObjectiveThe present article aims to popularize the temporomandibular disorder as a possible diagnosis when the phisician is facing a primary headache that was first thought to be a migraine headache or tension type headache, specially when they are not responsible to the treatment.MethodologyThis study focused on the clinical manifestation of the headache caused by temporomandibular disorder, with data searched in the National Library of Medicine, Scielo and PubMed libraries, from 2002 to 2022; also the 3rd edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (2018) and the Continuum Headache (2021). The aspects of the clinical manifestation chosen for comparison were location of the pain, type of pain, crisis duration, improvement and worsening factors and associated symptoms.ConclusionIt is very reasonable to consider TMD headache as a first diagnosis when the complaint is a primary headache, as much as it is reasonable to consider this diagnosis when the refractoriness is the complaint. Also, considering the TMD as a trigger to the other headaches.