Aim: Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic disease with poorly understood treatment. This article suggests a specific examination protocol for the assessment of the disease status and for the treatment management when unloading the temporomandibular joints. Methods: Depending on the onset and the exacerbation and remission periods that occur during growth, a great number of signs and symptoms are found in the stomatognathic system, including functional limitation, anterior open bite, and broken downward protrusion of the jaw pathway caused by articular and/or occlusal interference. These signs and symptoms are discussed and analyzed in this article. Conclusion: Treatment management and a specific examination protocol are provided. World J Orthod 2001;2:56–68.