Evaluation of temporomandibular disorders among dental students of Saudi Arabia using Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD): a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a broad category of conditions arising from the various components of the temporomandibular joint complex. Bio-psychosocial model is the most accepted theory describing the etiopathogenesis of TMD. Dental students are vulnerable to psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, and stress. Hence, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence and possible risk factors of TMD among dental students of various academic levels and explore the association of TMDs with demographic, academic, and psychosocial parameters. Methods A total of 246 students of a Saudi Arabia dental school were chosen for the study. After getting consent, all students were examined according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders, including Axis I and II components. Results The overall cross-sectional prevalence of TMD was found to be 36.99%. Pain arising from the jaw, temple, and the peri-auricular area were the most commonly reported symptoms and elicited signs during examination. Among the pain-related TMD, myalgia was the commonest diagnosed condition, whereas disc displacement with reduction was found prevalent in the intra-articular disorder category. Female (OR = 1.94; P = 0.004), married (OR = 1.74; P = 0.04), and students in clinical academic levels (OR = 1.65; P = 0.03) were found to have significantly increased risk of TMD. Among the psychosocial parameters, anxiety (OR = 1.55; P = 0.04) and parafunctional behaviours (OR = 2.10; P < 0.001) were shown to increase the risk of developing TMD. Students with any TMD reported to have significantly higher pain intensity levels (OR = 1.68; P = 0.01) and jaw functional limitations (OR = 1.45; P = 0.008). Conclusion Dental students, especially in clinical levels were shown to pose a higher risk of developing TMD, hence strategies such as academic counselling and objective evaluation via rubrics should be planned to modify the administration of the curriculum, training methods and evaluation process.

Temporomandibular joints disorders (TMDs) prevalence and their relation to anxiety in dental students

“…Evidence suggests that TMD is a common complain among students. The prevalence of TMD reported by this study is higher than what has been reported by other studies in Saudi universities which ranged between 25-39%(Alkhudhairy, Al Ramel et al 2018, Srivastava, Shrivastava et al 2021. Studies that addressed general university Saudi students also reported TMD prevalence of 20 to 50% (Zulqarnain,Khan et al 1998, Habib, Al Rifaiy et al 2015, Zwiri and Al-Omiri 2016, Srivastava, Shrivastava et al 2021).…”

“…The prevalence of TMD reported by this study is higher than what has been reported by other studies in Saudi universities which ranged between 25-39%(Alkhudhairy, Al Ramel et al 2018, Srivastava, Shrivastava et al 2021. Studies that addressed general university Saudi students also reported TMD prevalence of 20 to 50% (Zulqarnain,Khan et al 1998, Habib, Al Rifaiy et al 2015, Zwiri and Al-Omiri 2016, Srivastava, Shrivastava et al 2021). All the above-mentioned studies with the exception of Srivastava et al relied on self-administered questioners to identify subjects with TMDs and did not include TMJ clinical examination to confirm the diagnosis as the present study which may explain the difference in prevalence.…”

“…Also, the finding of the increasing prevalence of disc displacement with age in this study is in alignment with other studies were disc displacement with reduction develops during childhood and adolescence and it's prevalence levels off towards adulthood (Marpaung, van Selms et al 2019, Sankuratri, Verma et al 2021. Although myalgia was the reported as the commonest diagnosed condition in some studies (Srivastava, Shrivastava et al 2021), it was the second most prevalence condition in this study. On the other hand, females had a higher prevalence of TMDs compared to males.…”

“…Bagis, Ayaz et al 2012, Naeije, Te Veldhuis et al 2013, Wieckiewicz, Grychowska et al 2014, de Melo Junior, Aroucha et al 2019, Xie, Lin et al 2019, Sankuratri, Verma et al 2021, Srivastava, Shrivastava et al 2021. Interestingly, 30% of the subjects had more than one TMDs diagnosis.…”

Nano Drug Delivery Platforms for Dental Application: Infection Control and TMJ Management—A Review

“…Degeneration of the TMJ cartilage is among the common features in patients suffering from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis, which then further leads to jaw pain and limited movements that are functionally debilitating [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Currently, patients suffering from these pathologies are treated with steroid injections, pulsed electrical stimulation, pharmacological drugs, hyaluronic acid injections, and topical ointments along with stem cell therapy, which provides relief to various degrees to patients, respectively [ 21 , 22 ].…”