Abstract
AbstractIntroductionThe relationship between dental occlusion and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) remains a subject of disagreement. Many professionals erroneously base diagnosis and treatment strictly on the occlusal factor, despite the fact that current scientific evidence does not show such a relationship.ObjectiveTo evaluate the knowledge of dental surgeons (DSs) from João Pessoa (PB)-Brazil, regarding the relationship between occlusal factors and TMD.Materials and methodA sample of 100 DSs who do not have expertise in TMD and orofacial pain (CG Group) and seven DSs with this specialty (EG Group) completed a questionnaire that addresses issues concerning knowledge of TMD and its relationship with occlusal factors. The questionnaire also contained information used to characterize the sample, such as age, gender, and length of experience. The current literature's degree of consensus was established as the "gold standard" response for each statement and was compared with the responses of the specialists and non-specialists. Data were tabulated using the SPSS software package and analyzed descriptively (by percentage) and statistically using the chi-square and Fisher's exact tests (p < 0.05).ResultA wide divergence could be observed between the knowledge of DSs who do not specialize in TMD and orofacial pain and that of professionals who do.ConclusionThere was low agreement between specialists and non-specialists. The relationship between dental occlusion and TMD remains unclear for the vast majority of participating professionals, which may prove to be reflected in diagnostic behaviors and inappropriate occlusal treatment for the management of TMD.
Highlights
The relationship between dental occlusion and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) remains a subject of disagreement
From 1920 to 1930, dentistry was subject to the great influence of occlusionists, and the concept that TMD etiology was caused by dental occlusion problems was intensely disseminated[2,4]
Given the etiological complexity of TMD and the controversies related to occlusal factors, this study aims to evaluate the knowledge of dental surgeons (DSs) with regard to the relationship between occlusal factors and TMD and to relate and compare the responses of TMD and orofacial pain (OFP) specialists with those of non‐specialists in this area
Summary
The American Academy of Orofacial Pain defines temporomandibular disorder (TMD) as a collective term for a number of clinical problems that affect the muscles of mastication, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and associated structures[1]. The finite populations formula described in Naing et al.[18] was used for the sample size calculation This formula was based on an error of 6%, a confidence interval of 95%, and a ratio of 90% of individuals with knowledge of the TMD issues under study. For the hypothesis testing study, Cohen’s h effect size was adopted[19] This measure addresses the difference in proportions between groups regarding answers to questions in an applied questionnaire. The remaining questions comprised six statements that had been formulated to evaluate knowledge on the relationship between occlusal factors and TMD, based on the studies of Glaros et al.[16] and Tegelberg et al.[17], translated into Portuguese. Using Cohen’s h effect size equation[19], the lower proportion limits were applied to calculate the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval, and the upper proportion limits were applied to calculate the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval
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