Temporomandibular disorders in relation to female reproductive hormones: a literature review

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are common pain conditions that have the highest prevalence among women of reproductive age. The pattern of onset after puberty and lowered prevalence rates in the postmenopausal years suggest that female reproductive hormones may play an etiologic role in temporomandibular disorders. The purpose of this article is to review the role of female reproductive hormones in TMD. English-language peer-reviewed articles between 1975 and 2002 were identified using Medline as well as a hand search and were reviewed.