Introduction: A presence of otologic symptoms associated to the temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is discussed since six decades ago, however its etiology still stays obscure. Study design: Prospective clinical randomized. Aim: In that study it was appraised the prevalence of otologic symptoms in TMD, the correlation with the muscular pain and the absence of posterior teeth. Material and Methods: 126 patients, presented TMD, were appraised through questionnaire about their symptoms, palpation of the masticatory muscles, temporal, masseter, lateral pterygoid medial, pterigoyd, digastric, temporal muscle tendon, esternocleidomastoid and trapezius and panoramic and transcranian X-rays and plaster´s models of the superior and inferior arcades. The data obtained were analyzed through Exact Test of Fisher, with p value < 0,05. Results: The otologic symptoms were presented in 80% of the patients (50% presented hear pain 52% aural fullness, 50% tinitus, 34% dizziness, 9% sensation of vertigo and 10% told hypoacusis). The palpation revelated lateral pterigoyd as the most sensitive 94%, followed by the temporal muscle ( 69%), masseter (62%), digastric (60%), medial pterigoyd (50%), temporal muscle tendon and sternocleidomastoid (49%) and trapezius (42%). The muscular pain and otologic symptoms were statistically significant in the masseter and esternocleidomastoid muscles. Tinitus, aural fullness and otologic pain presented high significant correlation to each other. There was not significance between the absence of teeth and otologic symptoms. Conclusion: 1) otalgia, tinitus, aural fullness and dizziness were prevalentes 2) the otologic symptoms present in TMD can be relation with the muscular pain in masseter and esternocleidomastoid 3) there was not correlation between the otologic symptoms and the absence of posterior teeth.
temporomandibular articulation; otologic symptom
