IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE INCREASE IN EMERGENCIES FOR TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DYSFUNCTIONS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

COVID-19 is a disease that has a wide clinical spectrum that ranges from completely asymptomatic conditions to severe pulmonary infection. The social isolations recommended by health authorities, despite being necessary to prevent the spread of the disease, may had have a negative impact on the mental health of the population with an increase in the number of cases of anxiety, depression and other psychological disorders. In this context, temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD), a multifactorial disease that including the psychological factor, may have worsened after the start of the pandemic period. The aim of this study was to verify whether there was a worsening of TMD symptoms during the pandemic period and what they were. The research was carried out on patients treated at the TMD clinic of Odontoclínica Central da Marinha (OCM), located in the city of Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brazil. A retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out by collecting data from 784 electronic medical records of patients aged of 12 and over, before the pandemic, in 2019, and during the pandemic, in 2020, according to the eligibility criteria. The results obtained through statistical analyses revealed a worsening of TMD symptoms during the pandemic period. There was an increase in emergency consultations and cases of muscle and join pain. The worsening of TMD symptoms might be associated with the negative impact of the pandemic on the mental health of OCM patients.

Keywords

• covid-19
• temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome
• facial pain
• pandemic
• dentistry