Trigeminocardiac reflex may occur during temporomandibular joint arthrocentesis
Originally at sciencedirect.com
Summary & scoring by The Bell Brief (Dr. Jennifer Bell) using the Drill-Down Protocol (Drill-Down Score) — not the original publisher.
Why it matters for dental
Oral surgeons and specialists who perform TMJ arthrocentesis should be aware that the trigeminocardiac reflex can trigger sudden bradycardia or hypotension during the procedure, creating a potential perioperative risk in otherwise routine cases.
Key points
- The trigeminocardiac reflex is a known vagal response that can be elicited by stimulation of the trigeminal nerve during TMJ arthrocentesis.
- Published online 11 September 2026 in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, the report documents occurrence during a commonly performed office-based procedure.
- Oral and maxillofacial surgeons and TMJ specialists are the primary audience for this clinical observation.
- Routine monitoring of heart rate and blood pressure during arthrocentesis is advised to detect and manage reflex-mediated hemodynamic changes.
Who should care
Read the original on Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (JOMS)
Full reporting and any paywall content live on sciencedirect.com. We summarize and score; we do not republish.
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