The study aims to investigate signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among physicians in a tertiary health‐care center. It has estimated the level of symptomatology, determined the association with demographic data, and identified the related occupational risk factors. A cross‐sectional survey was used, and physicians of genders, all age groups, and nationalities from King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were recruited. Subjects who had rheumatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, trigeminal neuralgia, or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) trauma were excluded. The data were collected through a self‐administered questionnaire that measured TMD severity and oral parafunctional behaviors. Fonseca's anamnestic index (FAI) and an oral validated behavior checklist were used to assess the signs and symptoms of TMD. A total of 282 physicians participated in the study, and the prevalence of TMD signs among physicians was 37% (106); among them, 88 (83%) were within the light dysfunction category. Female physicians reported significantly higher FAI than males for side‐to‐side mandibular movement (12% vs. 5%,
P
= 0.04), reporting ear pain (18% vs. 10%,
P
= 0.04), and noticing clicking when chewing or opening the mouth (35% vs. 20%,
P
= 0.006). Younger practitioners (28–31 years old) who reported clicking while chewing or opening the mouth tended to have reported higher TMD dysfunction (35%) than those aged 40 and above (13%;
P
= 0.007). Self‐reported signs of TMD were 37% among our population. Information collected from FAI is useful in early diagnosis and prevention of TMD.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.