What is the typical age range for TMD onset?

• A. Infancy
• B. Adolescence to middle age; more common in 20s-40s
• C. Elderly
• D. Neonatal

Answer: (B)

TMD commonly begins during late adolescence through middle adulthood, with the highest frequency in the 20s to 40s. This timing fits with when the jaw and supporting structures are actively maturing, when stress-related behaviors and parafunctional habits (like bruxism and jaw clenching) often emerge, and when cumulative wear and inflammatory or degenerative changes can start to produce symptoms. Infancy or neonatal onset is not typical because the masticatory system is still undeveloped and not yet exposed to those risk factors, and while symptoms can occur later in life, onset in the elderly is less common as a first presentation.