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The management of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and craniofacial pain may involved the use of a number of therapeutic approaches, including pharmacotherapy. Pharmacological intervention in the management of TMD and craniofacial pain usually is considered an adjunctive therapy because more definitive treatments typically are used to correct the underlying pathophysiological process. However, pharmacotherapy often is the primary approach to treating depression and the inflammatory processes that are frequently associated with TMD. This article provides overview of the pharmacology of the drugs that have been used in management of TMD and craniofacial pain. The brief discussion about mode of action, pharmacologic effects, adverse effects and drug interactions of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioid analgesics, antide-pressants, muscle relaxants, benzodiazepines, steroids, and local anesthetics is included, and guidelines for their use are suggested.
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