Temporomandibular clinical exploration in Italian adolescents

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among Italian adolescents. Methods: The data were recorded from 567 subjects (246 males and 321 females; age range 11–19 years), grouped according to age and molar class relationship. Results: Forty-four point one percent of subjects showed at least one sign or symptom of TMD, which were significantly more frequent in the 16–19 year-old group (52.9%) in respect to the 11–15 year-old group (39.8%) (χ 2 = 8.78; p = 0.003). Signs and/or symptoms were about 1.6 times more frequent in subjects with Class II/1 malocclusion (χ 2 = 13.3, p = 0.0003), mostly for TMJ sounds (χ 2 = 1.444; p = 0.036). Myalgia was more frequent in females than in males (χ 2 = 3.882; p = 0.049). Conclusion: TMD signs and/or symptoms among Italian adolescents seem diffused (44.1%). Therefore, all adolescents should be screened thorough medical history and clinical examination.