Temporomandibular disorder: A guide for general dental practitioners.

The presentation of patients with symptoms associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) is a common finding in general dental practice. The management of patients with TMDs is often complicated by its multifactorial aetiology. This paper aims to provide a guide for dental practitioners to the clinical examination, diagnosis, and recognition of red flags in relation to TMDs and inform the busy practitioner when to refer patients presenting with TMDs for specialist/secondary care management.

A benign, low-grade myofibroblastic lesion mimicking a sarcoma.

Benign myofibroblastic lesions can clinically and histologically be mistaken for sarcoma. Excessive and potentially disfiguring surgical treatment can be avoided by ruling out malignancy. We present the case of a low-grade, myofibroblastic lesion of the lip, which shows how detailed clinical examination rather than reliance on histopathological information alone helped to achieve this. Differential diagnoses of myofibroblastic lesions are also discussed.

An unusual case of disappearing bone disease in the mandible and literature review.

Disappearing bone disease is a rare disorder that causes spontaneous and progressive osteolysis and proliferation of lymphatic tissue and blood vessels. It is debilitating and there is evidence of mortality in reported cases including those affecting mandible. A 38-year-old man was diagnosed with disappearing bone disease of the mandible in 2013. This had progressed from being in the right ramus only, and now extends to the lower right first molar and affects the left coronoid process and ramus. Mandibular involvement has shown to be high-risk. In older patients, misdiagnosis can occur without thorough investigation, and education of clinicians needs to be paramount to provide the appropriate treatment for this rare condition. The disease can be debilitating and as such education and support of patients is essential.

Spontaneous complete resolution of a radiolucent shadow associated with an impacted mandibular third molar.

Impacted third molars are commonly associated with areas of radiolucency, and treatment can damage the adjacent structures, specifically the inferior alveolar nerve. We report a rare and interesting case of a large radiolucent area associated with an impacted mandibular wisdom tooth that resolved over 7 years with no intervention. We postulate that the unexpected movement of the tooth over this time caused spontaneous resolution of the cystic space, a natural decompression, which highlights the option of monitoring.