IADR Abstract Archives
Symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders in Finnish Dental Students
Objectives: Studies have shown that symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are common in young adults. The Finnish pre-final version of the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD-FIN) was tested during the Phase II in a sample of dental students. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of TMD symptoms in Finnish dental students using the DC/TMD symptom questionnaire, and to test the content applicability of this instrument of the DC/TMD-FIN.
Methods: Altogether 66 Finnish dental students from University of Eastern Finland answered the DC/TMD-FIN Symptom Questionnaire. Of those, 54 students filled in the forms completely. The prevalences of TMD symptoms are presented as numbers and percentages by gender and study year. The differences between the groups were evaluated using Chi square tests.
Results: Facial pain during the preceding 30 days was reported by 61.1% (47.4% of men, 70.6% of women) of the students and headache by 50% (36.8% of men, 58.8% of women) of the students. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) noises were reported by 51.9% (47.4% of men, 55.9% of women) of the students, and closed locking of the jaw by 7.4% (10.5% of men, and 5.9% of women) of the students. Women showed significantly higher prevalences of facial pain and headache as compared to men.
When comparing the prevalence of TMD symptoms between the study years, the students in clinical study years (3rd and 4th years) reported significantly more often facial pain and headache than those in the preclinical study year (2nd year).
Conclusions: The present pilot study showed that TMD symptoms, i.e. pain-related symptoms and TMJ noises, were relatively common among dental students. Especially pain-related TMD symptoms were more common among women than men, thus confirming the earlier findings, and more common among the higher study year students compared to the lower year students. However, additional studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the results. The DC/TMD-FIN Symptom Questionnaire seemed to have appropriate content validity in this sample.
Methods: Altogether 66 Finnish dental students from University of Eastern Finland answered the DC/TMD-FIN Symptom Questionnaire. Of those, 54 students filled in the forms completely. The prevalences of TMD symptoms are presented as numbers and percentages by gender and study year. The differences between the groups were evaluated using Chi square tests.
Results: Facial pain during the preceding 30 days was reported by 61.1% (47.4% of men, 70.6% of women) of the students and headache by 50% (36.8% of men, 58.8% of women) of the students. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) noises were reported by 51.9% (47.4% of men, 55.9% of women) of the students, and closed locking of the jaw by 7.4% (10.5% of men, and 5.9% of women) of the students. Women showed significantly higher prevalences of facial pain and headache as compared to men.
When comparing the prevalence of TMD symptoms between the study years, the students in clinical study years (3rd and 4th years) reported significantly more often facial pain and headache than those in the preclinical study year (2nd year).
Conclusions: The present pilot study showed that TMD symptoms, i.e. pain-related symptoms and TMJ noises, were relatively common among dental students. Especially pain-related TMD symptoms were more common among women than men, thus confirming the earlier findings, and more common among the higher study year students compared to the lower year students. However, additional studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the results. The DC/TMD-FIN Symptom Questionnaire seemed to have appropriate content validity in this sample.