Temporomandibular disorders in Venezuelan and Italian adolescents

ABSTRACT

Objective

The aim of this research was to compare the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) among Venezuelan and Italian adolescents.

Methods

One hundred-seventeen Venezuelan and 138 Italian adolescents aged 11–18 years were examined according to the Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs (DC/TMD). Signs and symptoms were registered.

Results

TMD prevalence among Venezuelan adolescents (17.9%) was lower than that among Italian adolescents (29.7%) and was higher in females and in the 15–18 age group. Intra-articular disorders were the most frequent in Venezuelan (8.5%) and Italian adolescents (13.0%). Pain-associated disorders were more frequent in the 11–14 age group, while intra-articular disorders were more frequent in the 15–18 age group in both samples. Italian adolescents presented greater muscle pain and joint noise than Venezuelan adolescents.

Conclusion

TMD prevalence in Venezuelan adolescents was lower than that in Italian adolescents. This suggests the involvement of cultural and/or genetic factors in the etiology of these disorders.

KEYWORDS:

• Temporomandibular joint disorders
• temporomandibular joint
• adolescent
• ethnic groups

Contributors

The authors declare that:

• All the authors have made substantive contributions to the article and assume full responsibility for its content;

• All those who have made substantive contributions to the article have been named as authors.

Brief description of how each contributed toward the submission:

De Stefano AA: Conception and design of the work; acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data for the work; accountability for all aspects of the work, appropriately investigated and resolved.

Guercio-Mónaco E: Acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data for the work; contribution to the revision of all the aspects of the work.

Uzcátegui, A.: Substantial contributions to the conception of the work; acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data for the work.

Boboc, AM: Substantial contributions to the conception of the work; acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data for the work.

Barbato, E: Contribution to the revision of all the aspects of the work.

Galluccio, G: Revision of all aspects of the work in questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work. Final approval of the version to be published.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflicts of interest were reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was received for this study.