Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders among Undergraduate Dental Students Using Fonseca Questionnaire

Abstract

Background: The term “temporomandibular joint diseases” refers to a group of linked conditions that affect the TMJ and its accompanying muscles, teeth as well as ligaments, and Occlusion. Dental undergraduates are more prone to temporomandibular joint disorders because of study stress and clinical workload. Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the frequency and severity of temporomandibular joint disorders and their associated sign and symptoms in undergraduate dental students using Fonseca’s Questionnaire a cross-sectional study conducted in Karachi. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among dental students of two public sector dental colleges in Karachi, from June 2019 to December 2019. The inclusion criteria were dental students aged 18 or above, from first to final year BDS. Exclusion criteria were dental students with a history of systemic, musculoskeletal, or neurological disorders, under current temporomandibular joint treatment, and with orofacial pain. The sample size of 375 was calculated and recruited through convenience sampling. Fonseca’s questionnaire was used to assess Temporomandibular Disorders. The questionnaire includes bibliographic details along with an assessment of joint disorder according to Fonseca criteria. The data was analyzed on SPSS version 26.0. Results: The total number of participants enrolled in the study was 375, with a mean age of 20.61 + 1.16 years. Female participants account for the majority of TMDS i.e. 57.3% (n=215). Almost equal responses were received from all undergraduate BDS students. Findings showed that 58.4% (n=219) participants had no TMD followed by 36.3% (n=136) who suffered from mild TMD according to Fonseca’s score. Only 4.8% (n=18) participants reported moderate and 0.5% (n=2) reported severe TMD. The evaluation of different signs and symptoms associated with TMD revealed that difficulty to move the mandible, opening the mouth, and pain while chewing were statistically significant symptoms related to gender Conclusion: A concise anamnestic index makes it possible to recognize a TMD patient and, at the same time, categorize the patient based on the severity of the illness. The study concluded that temporomandibular disorders were seen frequently in undergraduate dental students. Fonseca’s index could effectively screen TMDs among undergraduate dental students which may lead to early diagnosis and effective treatment planning by the clinicians

Keywords

• temporomandibular joint
• questionnaire
• population
• students
• dentistry