Hi all,
I came across a recently published study (more than 2000 patients) that says – TMJ disorder patients are more likely to develop taste sensation alterations. It should not be interpreted that TMJ disorder has a role to play in causing the altered sensation. Also it does not mean that if you treat the TMJ problem, the taste would return to normal. It is just that both TMJ disorder and the altered taste are offshoots of a single and the same central neural disturbance. There is a central neural mechanism that goes wrong and the patient develops both the above said symptoms.
We have been witnessing the typical prescriptions involving- Multivitamins, Chlorhexidine mouthwashes and Metronidazole gels – for quite some time now; and these seem to go on and on without giving any results. (The patient’s overall experience becomes very bitter with time!). So I feel this article should throw light on TMJ and CNS pathology. A simple case history taking and a clinical TMJ examination by the dentist should do wonders in such cases. Of course, there are other patients at menopause, with sinusitis & cold, and those who are on long term medication like anti-thyroid etc who suffer from altered taste too. But an altered taste with an associated TMJ disorder diagnosed by a dentist should help the patient get referred to an MD, Physician or a Neuro to control the central and much bigger CNS problem in time.
Rajeev Chitguppi
http://www.perioindia.com
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