Oral Health-related Quality of Life in Children With Temporomandibular Disorders

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) on childrens' oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 245 children, aged 8- to 10-years-old, living in the city of Cabreúva, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Data collection was obtained through EACD (European Academy of Craniomandibular Disorders) questionnaire in order to evaluate the presence of TMD signs and symptoms. Individuals who had marked “yes” to at least one of the four questions were included in the data collection followed by a clinical examination in order to confirm the diagnosis. This test was performed by a single previously calibrated examiner using the RDC / TMD AXI I diagnostic instrument. The Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ) questionnaire (8-10) was then applied to assess the life quality related to oral health. Poisson Regression analysis was performed in order to associate the total scores and CPQ8-10 individual domains with sociodemographic factors along with temporomandibular disorders.
Results: A total of 121 children presented temporomandibular disorders (57.9% female and 42.1% male). The results have shown that among the four AEDC questions, of the subjects in the sample reported the following: headache-88.4%; 36.4% pain in the temples, face or joints; 24.8% pain when they opened their mouth wide or chewed and 6.6% jaw locking. In addition, the final model adjusted for CPQ8-10 has demonstrated that children diagnosed with TMD presented a negative impact on the domain of functional limitations of CPQ8-10 (RR = 2.61, CI 95% 1.19-5.75).
Conclusions: In conclusion, children diagnosed with TMD showed a negative impact on the domain of functional limitations of CPQ8-10 scores.