Temporomandibular disorder, otologic, body pain, and psychological symptoms: Their inter-relationships in Asian youths.

PURPOSE:This study aimed to establish the inter-relationships between Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), otologic, pain, and psychological comorbidities in Asian youths. METHODS:Youths, aged 17 to 24 years old, were enrolled from a local polytechnic and an electronic survey encompassing demographic variables, the DC/TMD TMD pain screener (TPS), Short-form Fonseca Anamnestic Index (SFAI), modified Maciel's Otologic/Pain Symptom Inventory, and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 was administered. Participants were subsequently categorized into "no TMD pain (NP)" and "with TMD pain (WP)" in addition to "no TMDs (NT)" and "with any TMDs (WT)" groups. Data were evaluated with the Chi-square test, non-parametric, and logistic regression analyses (α = 0.05). RESULTS:Among the 198 participants (mean age 18.8 ± 1.7 years), 11.1% had painful TMDs and 18.2% experienced TMD pain and/or dysfunction. Significant differences in total-otologic symptom (total-OS), vertigo, and dizziness plus otalgia, tinnitus, and hearing loss scores were observed between the WP-NP and WT-NT groups correspondingly. While total-comorbid pain (total-CP) and psychological distress (total-PD) scores varied substantially between the WT-NT group, only a significant difference in total-PD scores was discerned between the WP-NP group. Total-OS scores were moderately correlated to TPS/SFAI, total-CP, total-PD scores. and psychological distress was a risk factor for painful TMDs. CONCLUSION:Otologic and pain comorbidities were prevalent among Asian youths with TMDs and appear to be interrelated. The complex interaction of TMDs with otological, pain, and psychological comorbidities must be considered when caring for youths with multiple somatic complaints. Int J Prosthodont 2023. doi: 10.11607/ijp.8451.