Prevalence of temporomandibular dysfunction and pain in adult general practice patients

To analyse the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders and related pain (TMD-pain) among adult recall patients in general dental practice. From November 2006 to September 2008, all adults attending a Swedish Public Dental Service (PDS) clinic for recall examination were asked two standardized ques...

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Published inActa odontologica Scandinavica Vol. 72; no. 8; p. 585
Main Authors Adèrn, Bengt, Stenvinkel, Christer, Sahlqvist, Lotta, Tegelberg, Åke
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.11.2014
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Attitude to Health
Facial Pain - epidemiology
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Pain Measurement - methods
Prevalence
Range of Motion, Articular - physiology
Sex Factors
Sweden - epidemiology
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - epidemiology
Young Adult
Sweden
effectiveness
TMD pain
prevalence
acceptance
general dentistry
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Summary:To analyse the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders and related pain (TMD-pain) among adult recall patients in general dental practice. From November 2006 to September 2008, all adults attending a Swedish Public Dental Service (PDS) clinic for recall examination were asked two standardized questions about temporomandibular pain and dysfunction. Mouth-opening capacity was measured. The responses to the questions and mouth-opening capacity were combined to give a TMD-pain score, on a scale of 0-3. The patients' acceptance of their TMD condition was also noted. The subjects comprised 2837 adults (53% females, 47% men). Of the total sample, 4.9% reported a TMD-pain score of 1-3. The gender difference was significant: women predominated (p < 0.003). Forty-three per cent of those with TMD-pain scores of 1-3 (36% men, 47% women) considered that the condition warranted treatment, especially those registering a pain score (significant difference between pain and dysfunction groups, p < 0.000). The TMD-pain score shows promise as a useful instrument for detecting and recording TMD-pain. The prevalence of TMD disclosed in the study is high enough to be considered a public health concern. Most of the subjects with lower scores on the TMD-pain scale accepted their condition as not severe enough to require treatment.
ISSN:1502-3850
DOI:10.3109/00016357.2013.878390