Oral health-related quality of life in Indian patients with temporomandibular disorders

Abstract

Objective: The objective was to determine the impact of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) to the self-perceived oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and to compare the OHRQoL with a control group. Materials and Methods: Eighty three patients who were diagnosed [according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) Axis I] and seeking treatment in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology were evaluated for the impact on the OHRQoL by the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). SPSS 17 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) was used to analyze the data. Statistical tests used were the t -test, Chi-square test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The mean age of the sample was 34.8 years with the male: female ratio as 1:5.9. The mean OHIP summary score of the TMD population was 23.3 ± 19.2, compared to 3.32 ± 4.41 for the general population. The mean OHIP score was not statistically different for males (20.6 ± 13.9) and females (25.0 ± 19.2) P = 0.189. The highest mean OHIP score (4.71 ± 3.91) was calculated for osteoarthrosis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), followed by disc displacement without reduction with limited opening (4.21 ± 3.86). Conclusion: The patients with TMD had lower OHRQoL as compared to the general population. The patients of muscular disorders and osteoarthrosis were found to have a greater impact on the quality of life (QoL) as compared to the disc displacement group.