Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To review the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children and adolescents, verifying the methodological variations. DATA SOURCES: Research conducted in Medline, PubMed, Lilacs and BBO databases, including manuscripts (except reviews and case reports) published from 1990 to 2012. The descriptors were "temporomandibular joint syndrome", "temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome", "temporomandibular joint disorders", "prevalence studies", and "cross-sectional studies"; the words "dysfunction", "disorder", "temporomandibular", "children", "adolescents", "prevalence", "frequency", and "transversal" were used. DATA SYNTHESIS: Seventeen articles were selected, and the TMD frequency varied from 16 to 68%. Regarding the methodological criteria, only three articles (18%) reported sample size determination, three (18%) clearly described the sample selection process by stratified selection technique, and nine studies (53%) carried out the calibration of the examiners. The diagnostic criteria used in the studies were: Helkimo index (n=2; 12%), Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) (n=4; 24%), the jaw index (n=1; 6%), clinical protocols (n=10; 59%), and anamnestic questionnaires (n=6; 35%). CONCLUSIONS: The TMD prevalence in children and adolescents varies in the literature. Appropriate and standardized methods are needed to identify, with greater validity, the presence of TMD in this population, allowing a better understanding of the pathological aspects in order to address more effective preventive and therapeutic procedures.
Highlights
The term temporomandibular disorders (TMD), according to the American Dental Association Americana (ADA), refers to a group of disorders characterized by temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in the periauricular area or in the muscles of mastication, in addition to TMJ sounds during mandibular function, and deviation or restriction of mandibular movements(1)
Its multifactorial etiology is related to a heterogeneous group of functional, structural and psychological factors, which makes it difficult to identify the association between a single etiologic factor and signs and symptoms of TMD(2)
TMD is a condition that should be better evaluated in the population, because, if diagnosed late, it may progress to a state of irreversible destruction of the intracapsular structures of the TMJ(27) and cause abnormal craniofacial growth, as well as TMJ-related pain or mandibular dysfunction in adulthood(28)
Summary
The term temporomandibular disorders (TMD), according to the American Dental Association Americana (ADA), refers to a group of disorders characterized by temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in the periauricular area or in the muscles of mastication, in addition to TMJ sounds during mandibular function, and deviation or restriction of mandibular movements(1). Its multifactorial etiology is related to a heterogeneous group of functional, structural and psychological factors, which makes it difficult to identify the association between a single etiologic factor and signs and symptoms of TMD(2). It is not clear whether these factors are considered predisposing or just coincident factors(3). TMD is a condition that more frequently affects adults(4). Signs and symptoms of TMD are observed in nearly 16(5) to 68%(6) of children. The variability in its prevalence may result from the different types and qualities of analysis methods(7)
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