Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) plays an exceptionally important role in the life of a human. Its function includes not only significant participation in the process of digestion, yawning, coughing but also a huge part in the process of speaking. Speech is known to be one of the key factors of the drastic development of the human brain. As R. Slavicek mentions, the masticatory organ and occlusion are at the center of this link to the development of the brain, because linguistic communication occurred through this new function. The joint, allowing sophisticated movements of the mandible, controlled by the brain, and providing them throughout the entire life of the organism, has a unique complex structure, and it is not surprising, that such articulation may be impaired by various disorders and diseases.
The diseases of the TMJ are encountered among 25-65% of the population; moreover, 16-30% of cases are found in youth and adolescence. The development of pathological changes in the TMJ is influenced by various factors: inflammatory processes, malformations of the TMJ, anomalies of the teeth and jaws, stress, mechanical trauma, discoordinated movements of the elements forming the joint, etc. The clinical picture of inflammation and the necessary medical treatment is particularly determined by the anatomical and topographic features of the TMJ.