Severity and form of temporomandibular disorder symptoms: Functional, physical, and psychosocial impacts

Objective The associations between the presence of differing severity/form of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) were explored. Methods The severity and form of TMDs in young adults were categorized based on the Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI) and Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs (DC/TMD), and OHRQoL was assessed with the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistics (alpha = 0.05). Results The study cohort consisted of 501 young adults (mean age 19.7 +/- 1.3 years; 75.2% women). Participants with severe/moderate TMDs had significantly higher OHIP severity scores than those with mild/no TMDs. Moreover, participants with combined/pain-related symptoms exhibited significantly higher severity scores compared to those without symptoms. The physical pain and psychological discomfort domains were typically more impaired regardless of severity/form of TMD symptoms. Conclusion More severe and painful symptoms were related to greater impairments in OHRQoL, especially in the physical and psychological domains.