Background factors in craniomandibular disorders: reported symptoms in adolescents with special reference to joint hypermobility and oral parafunctions

— Correlations between craniomandibular disorders (CMD) symptoms and an inherited factor (general joint hypermobility) were studied in 193 adolescents (96 girls and 97 boys). They answered a questionnaire concerning CMD symptoms, oral parafunctions, head and jaw trauma and symptoms from other joints. Joint mobility was assessed by determining the Beighton score (0-9). Twenty-eight percent of the girls and 21% of the boys could perform four or more of the maneuvres. Twenty-two percent of the girls and 3% of the boys were extremely hypermobile (score ≥5). Eighty-nine percent were aware of some oral parafunction and the prevalences of oral habits were about the same in the two groups. Girls reported significantly more dysfunction symptoms than boys. No indication was found that oral parafunctions generally produced CMD but a systemic factor (joint hypermobility) seemed to play an important role when the masticatory system was exposed to local forces as in oral parafunction. This may be one explanation for the predominance of females among CMD patients.