COVID-19 pandemic and the psyche, bruxism, temporomandibular disorders triangle

ABSTRACT

Objective

To investigate the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the report of psychological status, bruxism, and TMD symptoms.

Methods

An online survey was drafted to report the presence of psychological status, bruxism activities, and reported symptoms of TMDs perceived during the COVID-19 pandemic in a population of 506 individuals.

Results

Mental health is not positive during the Coronavirus pandemic: almost half the subjects reported an increase in bruxism behaviors, while up to one-third reported an increase in their symptoms involving the TMJ and jaw muscles. Specifically, 36% and 32.2% of participants reported increased pain in the TMJ and facial muscles, respectively, and almost 50% of the subjects also reported more frequent migraines and/or headaches.

Conclusion

Increased psychosocial distress during the COVID-19 pandemic can increase the frequency of TMD symptoms and bruxism behaviors, which, in turn, constitute a triangle of mutually interacting factors with the psychological and emotional status.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• orofacial pain
• bruxism
• psychological assessment
• temporomandibular disorders

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.