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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background: Temporomandibular disease (TMD) is commonly seen, and divers also experience pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or masticatory muscles. This article aims to provide a tool for diving physicians or medical professionals involved in diving medicine since jaw pain among divers is a pertinent subject and can be challenging to evaluate without some background in dentistry or maxillofacial surgery. Method: A basic algorithm was developed to provide a tool to differentiate jaw pains experienced by divers. Three brief case studies were developed, and five diving physicians were tasked with diagnosing the cases using the algorithm. Additionally, simple exercises and massage techniques that can benefit patients with TMD, particularly immediately after diving, are outlined. Results: All five diving physicians successfully diagnosed the cases using the algorithm. However, three of them were unable to diagnose the first case (disc luxation) without consulting the algorithm. Nevertheless, all physicians acknowledged the utility of the algorithm. Conclusions: Jaw pain in divers can stem from diverse causes, but effective treatment options exist. Our study findings provide valuable insights to assist diving physicians in making accurate diagnoses and guiding appropriate patient management, which may include referrals to specialists such as dentists, maxillofacial surgeons, or orthodontists.

Details

Title
An Algorithm for Jaw Pain among Divers
Author
Vivacqua, Angelo 1 ; Fan, Kathleen 2 ; Gürtler, Alexander 3 ; Thieringer, Florian M 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Berg, Britt-Isabelle 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; [email protected] (A.V.); [email protected] (F.M.T.) 
 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London SE5 9RS, UK; [email protected] 
 Physiothek, Private Practice, 4054 Basel, Switzerland; [email protected] 
 Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; [email protected] (A.V.); [email protected] (F.M.T.); Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; Medical Additive Manufacturing Research Group (Swiss MAM), Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland 
 Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland; [email protected] (A.V.); [email protected] (F.M.T.); Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland 
First page
3167
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20770383
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3067421660
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.