The relation of temporomandibular disorders with oral health-related quality of life in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966

ABSTRACT

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the association between temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in an adult population.

Methods

The data included 1,768 adults 46 years of age in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966) study. The symptoms, signs and diagnoses of TMD were assessed using a modified protocol of the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) and validated questionnaires. OHRQoL was measured using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Associations of TMD and OHRQoL were evaluated with χ² -test and Fisher’s exact test.

Results

In females, pain-related TMD signs and diagnoses associated significantly with prevalence of OHIP total and all dimensions, whereas in joint-related TMD, psychological dimensions showed the strongest association. Males with pain- or joint-related TMD, the most impaired dimension was physical pain.

Conclusion

Pain-related TMD seems to associate more strongly with lower OHRQoL than joint-related TMD especially in females.

KEYWORDS:

• Adults
• cohort study
• epidemiological study
• oral health-related quality of life
• temporomandibular disorders

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all cohort members and researchers who participated in the 46-year study. We also wish to acknowledge the work of the NFBC project center.

Disclosure statement

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

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

NFBC1966 received financial support from University of Oulu Grant no. 24000692, Oulu University Hospital Grant no. 24301140, and ERDF European Regional Development Fund Grant no. 539/2010 A31592. The corresponding author Elisa Tervahauta has received personal grants for this study from the Finnish Dental Society Apollonia, the Finnish Cultural Foundation: Lapland Regional Fund, the University of Oulu Scholarship Foundation, Minerva Foundation, and Finnish Female Dentists’ Association.