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Abstract
Objectives: The study aim was to evaluate the prevalence of self-reported temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and acceptance or nonacceptance of such disorders in adult patients attending all public dental health services in the County of Sörmland, Sweden, during a 3-year period, 2011–2013.
Methods: Two questions were asked about TMD and the voluntary mouth-opening capacity was measured. The results were registered in a score 0–3. The registration was completed with a question about each patient’s acceptance or nonacceptance of their condition.
Results: More than 73,000 registrations of the TMD condition were performed in general dental clinics from 2011 to 2013. The mean prevalence of a TMD score of 1–3 was 5% and was consistent over these years. Seventy percent of these patients were women. The peak prevalence of TMD was registered in patients aged 30–45 years (38%), and the frequency declined in older age groups. Reduced voluntary mouth-opening capacity (≤35 mm) was found in less than 2% of the participants. About one-fifth of the patients with a TMD-score of 1–3 did not accept their condition and wanted professional care. The frequency of nonacceptance of the condition increased with the severity of symptom score: 15%, 27%, and 49% for scores 1, 2, and 3, respectively.
Conclusions: This study shows that the prevalence of self-reported TMD in adult patients was consistent from 2011 to 2013 and should be considered as a public health issue in Sweden. Patients with more severe TMD pain symptoms wanted care more frequent. The annual clinical calibrations should be continued to achieve an acceptable level of registration.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.