Effects of Cannabinoids Use in Temporomandibular Disorders: A Scoping Review

Objective: To assess the effects of cannabis and its synthetically derived products on temporomandibular disorders (TMD) treatment and explore the potential mechanisms underlying these effects in various TMD nociception models. Material and Methods: Electronic searches in five databases were conduc...

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Main Authors: Letícia da Costa Siqueira, Camila Freire Brant, Jovânia Alves Oliveira, Mayra Resende Azevedo, Carolina Aparecida de Faria Almeida, Suzane Cristina Pigossi, Daniel Augusto de Faria Almeida
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association of Support to Oral Health Research (APESB) 2025-08-01
Series:Pesquisa Brasileira em Odontopediatria e Clínica Integrada
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Online Access:https://revista.uepb.edu.br/PBOCI/article/view/4657
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Summary:Objective: To assess the effects of cannabis and its synthetically derived products on temporomandibular disorders (TMD) treatment and explore the potential mechanisms underlying these effects in various TMD nociception models. Material and Methods: Electronic searches in five databases were conducted for publications up to August 2024. Clinical and animal studies about the use of cannabinoids for TMD-related pain control were included. Letters to the editor, conference proceedings, protocol articles, historical reviews, in vitro studies, and unpublished articles were excluded. Results: A total of 2,708 unique citations were found. Following the screening, 31 studies were evaluated as full-text copies, and 13 (nine pre-clinical, two observational, and two interventional studies) were included. The pre-clinical studies demonstrated that cannabinoid compounds effectively reduce nociceptive behavior in the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) and masseter muscle using different animal models. Moreover, all the included studies using formalin-induced TMJ nociception reported that cannabinoid agonist-induced antinociception in the TMJ region was mediated by the central activation of CB1 but not CB2 receptors. The observational and interventional studies reported pain reduction, improvement in function, and better health quality with cannabis use. Furthermore, the use of cannabis for chronic pain appears to be an effective alternative to the use of opioids and other pain control drugs associated with unwanted side effects. Conclusion: The use of cannabis and its synthetically derived products seems to be effective in reducing nociceptive behavior in TMJ and masseter muscle. However, further clinical and mechanistic studies are necessary to thoroughly investigate the therapeutic potential of cannabinoid compounds in TMD.
ISSN:1519-0501
1983-4632