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Kenneth W. Hicks, DDS
Kailua, Hawaii

JAMA. 1978;239(9):831.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.—

Relating to the reply of H. D. Peterson, MD (238:2072,1977), to the question whether the onset of tinnitus in a 48-year-old man might be related to myelography or one of the several drugs he was taking, it might be helpful to know that this symptom is often seen by dentists in persons suffering from chronic headache patterns or recent trauma.

The source of the dental cause is a dysfunctional relationship between the temperomandibular joint and the dentition or dental prosthesis. The dysfunction (which may have been asymptomatic) is then exacerbated by a behavioral pattern. The usual pattern is simply clenching the teeth in response to pain elsewhere in the body. There are many modifications to this pattern, including biting the incisal edge of the front teeth, grinding the teeth, and biting two particular teeth (eg, cuspids).

Where other sources of tinnitus, such as aspirin, have been ruled . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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