Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in Korean high school students

Abstract

Objectives: The objective and subjective prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) in Korean adolescents has not been reported. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of TMD in Korean high school students objectively, through oral examination, and subjectively, via questionnaire, to identify the factors associated with this disorder. Methods: Oral examination and a structured self-reporting questionnaire survey, as recommended by the American Academy of Orofacial Pain (AAOP), were conducted on 643 high school students (318 males and 325 females) in Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea. Results: The oral examination revealed that 29.5% of students (21.4% male and 37.5% female) had TMD. Included in the diagnostic criteria for TMD, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sound was present in 21.9% of the students, followed by mouth-opening deviation, TMJ pain, and restricted mouth opening, which were present in 14.3%, 10.1%, and 0.3% of the students, respectively. The subjective symptoms included TMD sound (46.8%), headache or neck pain (25.5%), and pain in or around the ears, temples, or cheeks (16.5%). Logistic regression analysis showed that TMD was associated with sex, malocclusion, and symptom severity (p<0.001). Conclusions: This study revealed a high prevalence of TMD in adolescents in Korea. There was a significant correlation between oral examination findings and screening questionnaire results. The use of these tests to identify individuals who should be closely monitored clinically may reduce costs and lead to early treatment.