Temporomandibular Disorders in Patients With Diabetes Type 2: An Observational Study

Objectives: Diabetes is known to result in painful neuropathy by an increased release of hypernociceptive inflammatory mediators affecting more than half of patients. The purpose of our study is to estimate signs and symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) in patients with Diabetes type 2 and to investigate for the existence of an association between Diabetes and TMD.
Methods: Sixty patients’ normoglycemic and sixty patients with Diabetes type 2 were classified by RDC/TMD criteria. The data were compared and analyzed using a chi-square test to describe the existence of an association between Diabetes and TMD.
Results: No statistical significance (Chi-square test) was observed between both groups when analyzed the muscular aspects of TMD (p>0.05) as well as the disc displacement (p>0.05). However,the diabetic patients showed higher osteoarthritis incidence (p=0.0012) as well as physical symptoms not specific excluding pain according to RDC / TMD criteria (0.017) between Diabetes and TMD.
Conclusions: The data suggest that there is a possible relationship not yet well understood between diabetes and TMD although for neurophatic alterations assumed for diabetes that could be also engaged in TMD pathogenesis.