Methods: The study included 120 scuba divers in their compulsory or reserve military service and 87 soldiers serving at base headquarters during their compulsory service, who had never dived before or during their military service. All subjects completed a questionnaire regarding general diving data, symptoms of TMD and oral habits. A calibrated examiner conducted a physical examination.
Results: Divers reported more jaw pain at rest (p=0.006) and less headaches (p<0.0001), which were also significant when analyzing divers by diving index (depth of the dive x its frequency) (p<0.005). Divers suffered more from muscle sensitivity during examination of the masticatory muscles (p=0.041). Temporomandibular joint clicks decreased after or during the dive compared to at rest (p=0.003). Biting hard objects was found statistically more significant among divers (p=0.033). Incidence of tooth grinding, cervical lesions, linea alba, and indentation on the tongue, was significantly higher among divers (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Long periods and intensive scuba diving can result in TMD. Among professional divers, oral habits were more common and were considered, in addition to diving, as a risk factor for signs and symptoms of TMD.