Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate evidence about the prevalence of degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ).

Materials and methods: We performed search on electronic databases and gray literature from their inception to January 2018. Studies reporting prevalence data of DJD on TMJ were included. DJD was assessed through clinical and imaging diagnosis. Studies risk of bias was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data.

Results: From 1082 studies, 32 were identified, and the sample size included 3435 subjects. They were clustered into two groups: the first comprised studies that reported prevalence of DJD in TMJ secondary to rheumatic systemic diseases like juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the second group comprised studies that reported prevalence of DJD on temporomandibular disorder patients. The prevalence of DJD on JIA patients ranged from 40.42% (n = 47) to 93.33% (n = 15) and on RA patients from 45.00% (n = 20) to 92.85% (n = 56). Among TMD patients, the prevalence of DJD reported according to patients ranged from 18.01% (n = 1038) to 84.74% (n = 118) and reported according to joints ranged from 17.97% (n = 178) to 77.23% (n = 224).

Conclusion: This review attempts to high prevalence of DJD in patients with systemic rheumatic disease and a less prevalent, but still high, occurrence in patients with TMD without systemic involvement.

Clinical relevance: Specialist doctors and dentists should be alert to not underestimate and to correctly diagnose DJD of the TMJ early in patients with rheumatic disease and TMD.