Prevalence of temporomandibular disorder in Korea: a nationwide population-based study

Abstract

Purpose: Few studies have assessed the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in the Korean population.Methods: We used cohort data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service between 2012 and 2020. The data consisted of main diagnoses related to TMD (International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision [ICD-10] code: K07.6 and K07.6x). The age-standardized prevalence of TMD was calculated using the estimated Korean population in 2020 as a reference.Results: The age-standardized prevalence of TMD increased from 604 persons per 100,000 persons in 2012 to 869 persons in 2020. In 2020, the overall age-standardized prevalence was 1,355 persons in the 10 to 19 years age group, 1,809 persons in the 20 to 29 years age group, and 979 persons in the 30 to 39 years age group. The age-standardized prevalence was approximately 1.5 times higher in females than in males (698 persons in males vs. 1,040 persons in females). Among the specific TMD subtypes, the age-standardized prevalence of internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint and pain in the temporomandibular joint, not classified elsewhere, was higher than that of other specific TMDs.Conclusion: The overall age-standardized prevalence of TMD was higher in the 10s, 20s, and 30s age groups and in females between 2012 and 2020. The age-standardized prevalence of internal derangement of temporomandibular joint was the highest among specific TMD subtypes.