Abstract
Since the late 1970s, the treatment of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) abnormalities has proliferated. Seminars on the treatment of TMJ disorders became popular and rendered the dentist an authority on the disease. As a consequence of this new-found knowledge, aggressive surgical intervention for disc derangements also increased. It was believed that joint pathology was the cause of the patient's symptomatology. It was also suspected that proper disc repositioning or replacement with either autogenous or alloplastic materials would prevent future joint changes. Although early reports appeared promising, over just a few years, more and more failures occurred with reports of incapacitating pain and further joint destruction. More surgery ensued (as few as two or as many as 20), all to rectify these disastrous outcomes. This presentation is an overview of the basic joint structure/pathology and treatment modalities applied, as well as an introduction to the different alloplastic materials used and their complications. A further paper will discuss the involvement of a systemic disease process distant to the localized area of the TMJ. TMJ implants have not only become a modern medical nightmare but a legal and political minefield as well.