Orthodontics in 3 millennia. Chapter 13: The temporomandibular joint and orthognathic surgery

The temporomandibular joint has always been the practitioner’s no-man’s land. Who’s in charge here? The general dentist, the prosthodontist, the oral surgeon, the otolaryngologist, the psychiatrist, or the orthodontist? Theories about the cause of problems are as varied as the specialties involved. Is the cause anatomic, occlusal, neuromuscular, myofascial, psychological, or multifactorial? In another adjunctive domain, the major early advances in orthognathic surgery were the discovery of anesthesia, the experiences of World War I surgeons, and the refinement of maxillary techniques.