Abstract
Objectives: Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) is a painful syndrome that affects orofacial region, with deleterious effects in patients’ quality of life. Several aspects of TMD among the elderly are still controversial in the literature. The aim of this paper is to verify the prevalence of TMD among the elderly in Taubaté – Brazil, and its possible association with other co-morbidities. Material and Methods: Sixty-eight elderly individuals, presenting an average age of 69.5 years (SD 8.5), participated in this study, 37 of which were female. The Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Dysfunction (RDC/TMD) was used to verify TMD and its possible association with other co-morbidities. Results: The studied sample presented a low prevalence of TMD according to RDC/TMD (10.3%). Women presented more non-specific physical symptoms than men (pain items included, p=0.016, x2 test). Depression and non-specific physical symptoms (pain items excluded) did not correlate with patients’ gender. Associations were found among depression and characteristic pain intensity (p=0.027, ANOVA), non-specific physical symptoms (pain items included, p<0.001), non-specific physical symptoms (pain items excluded, p=0.001) and chronic pain grade (p=0.004), whereas the more depressed the patients were, the higher were their pain scores. Conclusions: One can conclude that psychological factors, such as depression, were associated with TMD prevalence, thus reinforcing the need for a multidisciplinary approach for TMD treatment. Key-words: Clinical Assessment; Depression; Elderly; Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders; Temporomandibular Disorder.
Highlights
Temporomandibular dysfunction is a painful syndrome that affects the orofacial region, involving a myriad of symptoms, as otalgia, headache, and facial myalgia, among others
There was a claim for a standardized diagnostic on temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) research [7] and a multidisciplinary approach could be helpful to verify the prevalence of TMD
The aim of this paper is to verify the prevalence of TMD among an elderly sample in Taubaté – Brazil, using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Dysfunction (RDC/TMD) tool
Summary
Temporomandibular dysfunction is a painful syndrome that affects the orofacial region, involving a myriad of symptoms, as otalgia, headache, and facial myalgia, among others. This symptoms usually impairs patients’ quality of life [1] but the etiology of temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) is still unclear [2,3]. Due to this, associated to the subjective nature of pain, psychological factors may be considered part of the clinical expression of TMD [6]. There was a claim for a standardized diagnostic on TMD research [7] and a multidisciplinary approach could be helpful to verify the prevalence of TMD.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
