Prevalence of Clinical Signs and Symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders Registered in the EUROTMJ Database: A Prospective Study in a Portuguese Center

Abstract

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) are characterized by their multifactorial etiology and pathogenesis. A 3-year prospective study was conducted in a Portuguese TMDs department to study the prevalence of different TMDs signs and symptoms and their association with risk factors and comorbidities. Five hundred ninety-five patients were included using an online database: EUROTMJ. Most patients were female (80.50%), with a mean age of 38.20 ± 15.73 years. The main complaints were: (1) temporomandibular joint (TMJ) clicking (13.26%); (2) TMJ pain (12.49%); (3) masticatory muscle tension (12.15%). The main clinical findings were myalgia (74%), TMJ clicking (60–62%), and TMJ arthralgia (31–36%). Risk factors such as clenching (60%) and bruxism (30%) were positively associated with TMJ pain and myalgia. Orthodontic treatment (20%) and wisdom tooth removal (19%) were positively associated with TMJ clicking, while jaw trauma (6%), tracheal intubation (4%) and orthognathic surgery (1%) were positively associated with TMJ crepitus, limited mandibular range of motion, and TMJ pain, respectively. In total, 42.88% of TMDs patients had other associated chronic diseases, most of them were mental behavioral or neurodevelopmental disorders (33.76%), namely, anxiety (20%) and depression (13%). The authors also observed a positive association of mental disorders with the degree of TMJ pain and myalgia. The online database seems to be a relevant scientific instrument for healthcare providers who treat TMDs. The authors expect that the EUROTMJ database can serve as a milestone for other TMDs departments.

Outcomes of IncobotulinumtoxinA Injection on Myalgia and Arthralgia in Patients Undergoing Temporomandibular Joint Arthroscopy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Following the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD), TMD can be divided into intra-articular joint disorders, masticatory muscle disorders (myalgia), headaches, and pathologies affecting associated structures [ 2 ]. The main signs and symptoms of TMD include arthralgia (TMJ pain), myalgia (muscle pain), TMJ sounds (clicking and crepitus), and functional limitations of jaw movements [ 3 ].…”

“…Almost half of the cases diagnosed with TMD have both articular and muscular components. The combination of both types of the disease is frequently induced by stress-related parafunctional habits (clenching and/or bruxism) [ 3 , 6 ]. Due to its anti-inflammatory and muscle tension-relieving effect, Botulinum Neurotoxin A (BoNT/A) has been studied and applied in TMD [ 7 ].…”