A Study to Determine the Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders in a Young Adult Population and its Association with Psychological and Functional Occlusal Parameters: TMD Association with Psychological and Occlusal Parameters

PURPOSE:To determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in medical university students and to analyze the relationship of TMD with psychological and functional occlusal parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS:200 students (mean age 21.81 ± 1.99) were screened for TMD with the TMD Pain Screener. Clinical examinations identified the participants with TMD. Based on their diagnostic criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) axis I diagnosis, participants were divided into three groups: group 1- non-TMD, group 2- pain related TMD and headaches, and group 3- intra-articular joint disorders. Further study was continued involving patients diagnosed with TMD as the study group, and an equal number of age- and sex-matched participants were selected in control group. Among these, emotional distress was evaluated using the "hospital anxiety and depression scale" (HADS). Occlusal evaluations were done by using the T-Scan computerized occlusal analysis system. Occlusion time, left lateral disclusion time, right lateral disclusion time, and protrusion disclusion time were measured with T-Scan III. These parameters were compared among the groups with ANOVA test at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS:17% of the population were affected by TMD. The mean HADSd (depression) and HADSa (anxiety) scores were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in group 2 (7.67 ± 3.68; 10.60 ± 3.33) and group 3 (6.89 ± 3.23; 9.26 ± 4.05) as compared to group 1 (3.18 ± 2.33; 5.29 ± 3.21). The mean values of occlusion time, left lateral disclusion time, right lateral disclusion time, and protrusion-disclusion time were also higher for group 2 and group 3 as compared to group 1. CONCLUSIONS:This study found that the prevalence of TMD in this university student population was 17%. There were significant associations of TMD with psychological parameters and functional occlusal parameters.