IADR Abstract Archives
Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis and Missing Teeth Exacerbate Over Same Decade.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to begin to investigate the correlations between gross signs of osteoarthritis (OA) on cadaveric temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and the dental care the 12 patients experienced prior to death.
Methods: Missing teeth, specifically teeth with the clinical crown missing, were assessed in an oral exam. Donor TMJs were then dissected to investigate gross symptoms of OA on the mandibular condyle using a validated scale for OA disease severity. A Grade 0-4 disease severity score (DSS) was awarded to the unilateral condyle for each patient.
Results: The older population (n=6), ages 88-107 years old, had a statistically greater percentage of missing teeth than the younger population (n=6) which included donors between the ages of 71 and 82 years old (p=0.04; 65% vs. 24%). The same population demonstrated a statistically significant difference in disease severity scoring on the TMJ condyle (p=0.03; younger donors average DSS = 3.33, older donors average DSS = 4.0). There were moderate correlations between DSS and age (r=0.43) and age and percentage of missing teeth (r=0.61). There was no correlation between condyle DSS and percentage of missing teeth or restored teeth (n=12).
Conclusions: In conclusion, the age of our population appears to be heavily shaping the OA and missing teeth data. Given the younger age group is actually a rather aged subpopulation, loss of teeth appears to happen quickly in the 8th decade of life (70s) and this coincides with a statistically significant increase in TMJ disease severity over that same decade. Further analysis on a larger population may yield a strong correlation between TMJ OA disease severity and percentage of missing teeth given the statistically significant differences in disease severity scoring and percentage of missing teeth between a population of individuals largely in their 70s and those that are in their late 80s or older.
Methods: Missing teeth, specifically teeth with the clinical crown missing, were assessed in an oral exam. Donor TMJs were then dissected to investigate gross symptoms of OA on the mandibular condyle using a validated scale for OA disease severity. A Grade 0-4 disease severity score (DSS) was awarded to the unilateral condyle for each patient.
Results: The older population (n=6), ages 88-107 years old, had a statistically greater percentage of missing teeth than the younger population (n=6) which included donors between the ages of 71 and 82 years old (p=0.04; 65% vs. 24%). The same population demonstrated a statistically significant difference in disease severity scoring on the TMJ condyle (p=0.03; younger donors average DSS = 3.33, older donors average DSS = 4.0). There were moderate correlations between DSS and age (r=0.43) and age and percentage of missing teeth (r=0.61). There was no correlation between condyle DSS and percentage of missing teeth or restored teeth (n=12).
Conclusions: In conclusion, the age of our population appears to be heavily shaping the OA and missing teeth data. Given the younger age group is actually a rather aged subpopulation, loss of teeth appears to happen quickly in the 8th decade of life (70s) and this coincides with a statistically significant increase in TMJ disease severity over that same decade. Further analysis on a larger population may yield a strong correlation between TMJ OA disease severity and percentage of missing teeth given the statistically significant differences in disease severity scoring and percentage of missing teeth between a population of individuals largely in their 70s and those that are in their late 80s or older.