Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) occur frequently within the general population and are the most common non-dental cause of
orofacial pain. Temporomandibular joint
osteoarthritis (TMJ OA) is a degenerative
joint disease (DJD). There have been several different methods of treatment of TMJ OA listed, including
pharmacotherapy among others. Due to its anti-aging, antioxidative, bacteriostatic, anti-inflammatory, immuno-stimulating, pro-anabolic and anti-catabolic properties, oral
glucosamine seems to be a potentially very effective agent in the treatment of TMJ OA. The aim of this review was to critically assess the efficacy of oral
glucosamine in the treatment of TMJ OA on the basis of the literature. PubMed and Scopus databases were analyzed with the keywords: (temporomandibular joints) AND ((disorders) OR (
osteoarthritis)) AND (treatment) AND (
glucosamine). After the screening of 50 results, eight studies have been included in this review. Oral
glucosamine is one of the symptomatic slow-acting drugs for
osteoarthritis. There is not enough scientific evidence to unambiguously confirm the clinical effectiveness of
glucosamine supplements in the treatment of TMJ OA on the basis of the literature. The most important aspect affecting the clinical efficacy of oral
glucosamine in the treatment of TMJ OA was the total administration time. Administration of oral
glucosamine for a longer period of time, i.e., 3 months, led to a significant reduction in TMJ
pain and a significant increase in maximum mouth opening. It also resulted in long-term anti-inflammatory effects within the TMJs. Further long-term, randomized, double-blind studies, with a unified methodology, ought to be performed to draw the general recommendations for the use of oral
glucosamine in the treatment of TMJ OA.