Temporomandibular Disorder Pain and Related Factors in an Adult Population: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southern Sweden

Aims: To measure the prevalence of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain and examine its association with gender and other factors in an adult population in southern Sweden. Methods: In 2006, a questionnaire was sent to randomly selected individuals (n = 10,000) aged 20 to 89 years. Two specific questions were used to screen individuals with TMD pain, and an additional 16 questions were analyzed regarding the subjects' relation to TMD pain. The chi-squared test was used to compare the distribution of categorical variables, and factors possibly related to TMD pain were analyzed by using logistic regression models with a likelihood-ratio test. Results: The response rate was 63%. The prevalence of TMD pain (once a week or more) was 11.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.2% to 11.8%). Women reported experiencing TMD pain more frequently than men. Further, the prevalence of TMD pain increased significantly in adults 50 years of age. Those with TMD pain reported headaches much more frequently than those without TMD pain, and individuals with TMD pain self-reported poorer general health than those without it. Individuals with TMD pain also had higher scores on the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14). Moreover, the TMD pain group was three times more likely to have had a dentist or hygienist comment on their tooth wear than the non-TMD pain group. Conclusion: The prevalence of TMD pain in the adult population in southern Sweden was 11%. Factors related to TMD pain were female gender, age 50 years, headaches, self-reported poor general health, high scores on the OHIP-14, and tooth wear. Age was the only factor that showed a significant difference between genders for TMD pain. Keywords: adults, pain, prevalence, related factors, temporomandibular joint disorders