Objective: The aim of this study was to assess bone changes and mobility in temporomandibular joints (TMJs) using cone beam CT (CBCT) in a population sample in Recife, PE, Brazil. Methods: The TMJ images of patients treated by a radiologist at a private dental radiology service over a period of 1 year were retrieved from the computer database and assessed using a computer with a 21-inch monitor and the iCAT Cone Beam 3D Dental Imaging System Workstation program (Imaging Sciences International, Hatfield, PA). The Pearson x 2 test was used to analyse the differences in percentage of bone changes among the categories of mobility (p # 0.05). The McNemar test was used to compare the presence of bone changes in TMJs on the right and left sides (p # 0.05). Results: An adjusted logistic regression model was used to assess the effect of age and gender on the occurrence of bone changes (p # 0.05). Bone changes were present in 227 (71%) patients. Age group and gender showed a statistically significant association with presence of bone changes (p # 0.05). There was no significant difference between the right and left sides (p 5 0.556) and in condylar mobility (p 5 0.925) with regard to the presence of degenerative bone changes. Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of degenerative bone alteration in TMJs, which is more frequent in women and mostly located in the condyle. The prevalence of degenerative bone changes increases with age. There is no correlation between condylar mobility and the presence of degenerative bony changes in TMJs.