Prevalence of Symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders among Dental Patients- A KAP Survey among Dental Practitioners

Abstract

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint, the muscles of mastication and its associated structures. Temporomandibular disorders are multifactorial in nature with associated dental, psychological and medical conditions. The most commonly associated factors are emotional tension, postural deviation, masticatory muscular dysfunction, occlusal interferences, teeth loss, internal and external changes in TMJ. To determine the Prevalence of symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders among Dental Patients - A KAP survey among dental practioners. A questionnaire with eight questions regarding the prevalence of symptoms of temporomandibular disorders among dental patients in their dental practice was prepared and sent to dental practioners. The data was analysed statistically for significance and correlations. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software. The dental practioners reported among their patients 12 % had pain very often during jaw opening, 37 % had headaches frequently, 15 % accounting for habit of clenching, 19% with difficulty in mouth opening and 9 % pain during mastication. The dental practitioners who participated in the survey found that most of the dental patients had one or more symptoms of TMD. Among these symptoms, the most commonly occurring are the headaches followed by pain on jaw opening and difficulty in mouth opening. On assessing the results of the survey, the dental practioners had observed that most of the patients with dental issues were unaware of having TMJ disorders and adverse effects they could experience in future if left untreated.