A Study to Determine the Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders in a Young Adult Population and its Association with Psychological and Functional Occlusal Parameters

PURPOSE

To determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in medical university students and to analyze the relationship of TMD with psychological and functional occlusal parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

200 students (mean age 21.81 ± 1.99) were screened for TMD with the TMD Pain Screener. Clinical examinations identified the participants with TMD. Based on their diagnostic criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) axis I diagnosis, participants were divided into three groups: group 1- non-TMD, group 2- pain related TMD and headaches, and group 3- intra-articular joint disorders. Further study was continued involving patients diagnosed with TMD as the study group, and an equal number of age- and sex-matched participants were selected in control group. Among these, emotional distress was evaluated using the "hospital anxiety and depression scale" (HADS). Occlusal evaluations were done by using the T-Scan computerized occlusal analysis system. Occlusion time, left lateral disclusion time, right lateral disclusion time, and protrusion disclusion time were measured with T-Scan III. These parameters were compared among the groups with ANOVA test at a significance level of 0.05.

RESULTS

17% of the population were affected by TMD. The mean HADSd (depression) and HADSa (anxiety) scores were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in group 2 (7.67 ± 3.68; 10.60 ± 3.33) and group 3 (6.89 ± 3.23; 9.26 ± 4.05) as compared to group 1 (3.18 ± 2.33; 5.29 ± 3.21). The mean values of occlusion time, left lateral disclusion time, right lateral disclusion time, and protrusion-disclusion time were also higher for group 2 and group 3 as compared to group 1.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that the prevalence of TMD in this university student population was 17%. There were significant associations of TMD with psychological parameters and functional occlusal parameters.