Profile of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Patients in a Specialized Temporomandibular Joint Clinic in Canadian Pediatric Hospitals.

Purpose: A specialized temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dental clinic was created at the Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) Sainte-Justine to optimize care of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). In this article, we characteristics of patients with JIA and the resources available in Canadian pediatric hospitals for JIA patients with TMJ involvement.

Methods: To determine patient characteristics, we compiled retrospective data on patients seen at the TMJ clinic. Regarding resources available for patients with JIA, we sent questionnaires to the departments of rheumatology and dentistry of 13 Canadian pediatric hospitals.

Results: Of the 86 JIA patients included in our study, 42% (95% confidence interval 32-52%) had TMJ involvement. Panoramic radiography was the imaging prescribed most often for patients with JIA (91%) and frequency of follow up was most often every 6 months. In the second part of the study, 7 hospitals were included; 2 had a specialized TMJ clinic. In many cases, reports of types of imaging and available dental specialists differed between the rheumatology and dentistry questionnaires for the same hospital.

Conclusion: Few Canadian pediatric hospitals have a specialized TMJ clinic for JIA, and there seems to be a gap in the knowledge of primary care physicians regarding TMJ diagnosis and the management of patients with JIA.