Dr. Adams' Alabama Headache Blog

This study assessed the prevalence of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction in students at Tufts University of Dental Medicine. Three classes were administered in a 12 item questionnaire requiring a yes/no response to questions about discomfort and dysfunction of the TMJ and associated muscles. Of 125 forms administered, Class of 1990 ('98) returned 105 (mean age 26.8), Class of 1999 ('99) 115 (mean age=25.1) and Class of 2000 ('00) 100 (mean age of 23.7) Each class had a ratio of approximately 60 males to 40 females. The number responding to at least one item was 65 for '98, 76 for '99 and 45 for '00. There was no difference in sex response. Generalized chi square showed a significant difference in the responses of the three classes. Seperate Teates corrected 2x2 chi squared tests showed that the number responding in '98 was no different from '99 while the number responding in both '98 and '99 were significantly larger than in '00. Because of this the results of '00 could not be pooled with those of '98 and '99. Of 220 students, 43% reported clenching and grinding, 30% reported noises in the joint, 21% sore muscles of mastication, 13% frequent headaches, 11% difficulty and/or pain chewing or talking. 10% jaw "locking or going out" and 7% difficulty and/or pain on opening. Students who answered at least one of the 12 questions were requested to rate pain/discomfort on 11, 10-point Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) each locating a pain site. Of the 220 students, 24% responded to TMJ by clicking (mean VAS=4.3), 18.9% to neck pain (mean VAS=4.2), 16.9% to headaches (mean VAS=4.7), 13.8% to TMJ pain (mean VAS=4.2), 16.9% to headaches (mean VAS=4.7), 13.8% to TMJ pain (mean VAS=3.7), 13.3% to pain in teeth (mean VAS=3.2), 8.9% to face pain (mean VAS=3.6). The prevalence of symptoms is osmewhat higher than repoprted in Swedish dental students and young men of comparable age. The observations in this, the first of a series of students to track symptoms over each year of dental school, suggest that dental schools screen students for TM Dysfunction.