Symptoms of craniomandibular dysfunction in professional orchestra musicians.

BACKGROUND: Up to 80% of professional musicians are affected by playing-related musculoskeletal disorders, but data regarding the frequency of craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) in professional orchestra musicians is scarce. AIMS: To evaluate the frequency of CMD and its relation to musculoskeletal pain in various body regions. METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey approach assessing CMD symptoms and musculoskeletal pain in professional orchestra players was adopted. Relative prevalence rates and prevalence ratios for different instrument groups were estimated. RESULTS: A total of 408 musicians completed the questionnaire (response rate 57%). Playing-related pain in the teeth or jaw was reported by 19-47% of musicians and TMJ pain by 15-34%, depending on the instrument group. Current pain in the face indicating a painful CMD was reported in 6-10% and related symptoms such as teeth grinding in 25-34%, jaw clenching in 33-42% and jaw locking in 11-18% of musicians. Females were 2.4 times (95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.49-3.84) more likely to report having had orofacial pain within the last month. Musicians reporting orofacial pain within the last month were 4.8 times (95% CI: 2.83-8.02) more likely to report pain in the neck and 2.5-3.8 times (P < 0.05) more likely to report pain in other body regions, including shoulders, right wrist, left fingers and the thoracic and lumbar spine. CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms suggesting CMD were common in this study of professional orchestra musicians and were associated with pain in the neck, shoulder and hands. There is a need to enhance awareness of CMD to optimize early medical diagnosis and treatment.

[An abbreviated version of RDC/TMD]. / Eine Kurzversion der RDC/TMD.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop a short diagnostic test for pain-related craniomandibular disorders (CMD) based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Participants included 1,177 CMD patients and 896 general population subjects who were examined according to the RDC/TMD. This new diagnostic short test consisted of a combination of the least amount of RDC/TMD items that distinguished between patients and subjects with a sensitivity of > or =70% and a specificity of > or =90%. The diagnostic test items were selected from all available RDC/TMD items using best subset logistic regression. RESULTS: The question about the presence of facial pain achieved a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 95%. The lower limits of the confidence interval for test accuracy measures exceeded the postulated thresholds specified for test development. Assuming a CMD pain prevalence of 10% in the general population this short test resulted in a positive predictive value of 80% and a negative predictive value of >99%. CONCLUSION: A single question about facial pain is a strong predictor for a pain-related CMD disorder and could provide an effective CMD short test.

Influence of psychopathologies on craniomandibular disorders.

Psychopathologies play a role in the etiology and maintenance of craniomandibular disorders (CMD). In this study, the craniomandibular index was applied to valuate signs and symptoms of CMD in 60 dentate patients, who were assigned to 2 groups: symptomatic (n=35) and asymptomatic (n=25). An interview on psychopathologies was carried out with the aim to detect the presence of some mood disorders, such as depression, dysthymic and bipolar I disorders. Among these disturbances, depression was the most significant aspect to be reported (p<0.05) since it was present in most symptomatic patients. This important interaction was also significantly correlated (p<0.05) with the Palpation Index. These results suggest that psychopathological aspects could increase muscle tenderness and pain in addition to sleep dysfuntions and other physical complaints. Therefore, psychopathologies should be regarded as an important aspect in patients with orofacial pains.

Influence of psychopathologies on craniomandibular disorders

Psychopathologies play a role in the etiology and maintenance of craniomandibular disorders (CMD). In this study, the craniomandibular index was applied to valuate signs and symptoms of CMD in 60 dentate patients, who were assigned to 2 groups: symptomatic (n=35) and asymptomatic (n=25). An interview on psychopathologies was carried out with the aim to detect the presence of some mood disorders, such as depression, dysthymic and bipolar I disorders. Among these disturbances, depression was the most significant aspect to be reported (p<0.05) since it was present in most symptomatic patients. This important interaction was also significantly correlated (p<0.05) with the Palpation Index. These results suggest that psychopathological aspects could increase muscle tenderness and pain in addition to sleep dysfuntions and other physical complaints. Therefore, psychopathologies should be regarded as an important aspect in patients with orofacial pains.

Os transtornos psíquicos podem desempenhar um importante papel na etiologia e manutenção das desordens craniomandibulares (DCM). Desta forma, neste estudo, foi aplicado o índice craniomandibular (ICM), o qual permite detectar a presença de sinais e sintomas de DCM em 60 pacientes totalmente dentados. Estes pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos: sintomáticos (n=35) e assintomáticos (n=25). Um teste psiquiátrico foi administrado para diagnosticar patologias psíquicas pertencentes ao DSM-IV, como a depressão e os transtornos distímico e bipolar I. Das patologias psíquicas relacionadas aos transtornos de humor, a depressão mostrou uma relação estatisticamente significante (p<0,05) com os pacientes sintomáticos para DCM. Ao analisar o índice de palpação separadamente, essa relação se manteve significante (p<0,05) numa escala crescente de valores, demonstrando a ação destes transtornos sobre a sintomatologia dolorosa muscular. Assim sendo, os transtornos mentais exerceriam uma influência considerável na etiologia da DCM, na medida em que potencializariam a dor. Isso ocorreria em função do aumento da tensão muscular, dos distúrbios do sono e de outras alterações fisiológicas advindas destes transtornos.

Oral health status and health-related quality of life: a systematic review.

This study was conducted in order to identify the literature on oral health status and health-related QOL, review the findings systematically, and assess the association between them. We performed a literature search of reports published between January 1973 and June 2004, using five databases including MEDLINE. Only studies that used validated generic health-related QOL instruments were selected. The reviewers evaluated selected articles independently and resolved disagreements by consensus. A total of 1,726 articles were retrieved and seven were selected for the review; five observational studies and two intervention studies. Four studies showed significant associations between oral health status and health-related QOL. Temporomandibular disorders were highly associated with reduced health-related QOL. Poor oral status linked to both craniomandibular and cervical spinal pain was associated with increased impairment of health-related QOL. Dissatisfaction with the teeth and mouth, and a sensation of dry mouth contributed to reduce health-related QOL. Providing edentulous patients with implant-supported full dentures contributed to improve health-related QOL. Assessment of health-related QOL in relation to oral health with validated instruments remains insufficient. The present findings suggest that oral health status could affect health-related QOL in some settings; however, further evidence is needed to support this interpretation.

[Stress, coping, and craniomandibular disorders]. / Stress, Stressverarbeitung und kraniomandibuläre Dysfunktionen.

BACKGROUND: Stress is an etiologic factor of pain-relevant craniomandibular disorders (CMD). Interindividual differences in coping with stress and their relation to CMD have rarely been examined. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 72 volunteers (20 men, 52 women) were examined according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. Stress parameters and coping skills were assessed by questionnaires. RESULTS: Stress and one coping factor are correlated with CMD indices. Linear regression analysis found the Life Event Score and cognitive coping by changing appraisals to significantly predict CMD. CONCLUSION: Stress and coping skills are independent predictors of CMD.

Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in an orofacial pain population.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to investigate the presence and magnitude of self-reported fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms and to determine whether fatigue can be distinguished as a unique clinical symptom in a sample of patients diagnosed with chronic temporomandibular joint or masticatory muscle pain. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-five chronic TMD patients and 55 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy volunteers completed a battery of 4 different fatigue measures as well as the SCL90-R, MPI, and PSQI. RESULTS: Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms were reported significantly more often by chronic TMD patients than by healthy volunteers. MANCOVAs with somatization, depression, anxiety, general activity level, and sleep disturbances as covariates eliminated the differences between patients and controls. Stepwise regression showed that fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms did not appear to be a unique clinical symptom of TMD patients, but merely emerged as somatic symptoms accounted for by somatization and depression. CONCLUSION: Fatigue and fatigue related symptoms may be symptoms of somatization and depression in this sample of chronic TMD patients.

Impaired health status, sleep disorders, and pain in the craniomandibular and cervical spinal regions.

This study investigated the relationship between health status (i.e., physical well-being and quality of life), sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia, sleep-related depression and anxiety), and musculoskeletal pain in the craniomandibular and cervical spinal regions. The number of painful body areas below the cervical spine (i.e., widespread pain) was also taken into account. Two questionnaires, viz., the RAND 36-item Health Survey Questionnaire and the Dutch Sleep Disorders Questionnaire (SDQ), were administered to 103 persons who could unequivocally be classified into one of four mutually exclusive groups: No pain, craniomandibular pain (CMP), cervical spinal pain (CSP), and both CMP and CSP. Body drawings were used for the self-report of widespread pain. Multivariate analysis of variance showed effects of gender, group, and widespread pain on the questionnaire scales; not of age. As shown by univariate analysis of variance, men suffered more from sleep apnea than did women. No other gender differences were found. Simple contrast analyses following univariate analyses of the group and widespread pain effects showed that, in general, more questionnaire scales, both of the RAND-36 and of the SDQ, reached statistical significance with an increase in the number of painful areas. It was concluded that both musculoskeletal pain in the trigemino-cervical area and widespread body pain are associated with an increased impairment of health status. Also, sleep disorders are frequently found in patients with chronic pain in the craniomandibular and cervical spinal regions as well as in patients with widespread pain. The more painful areas there are, the likelier it is that sleep disorders are present.

Relation between stress and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders in adolescents.

The psychophysiologic theory proposes that stress can precipitate craniomandibular disorders (CMD) and that stress correlates more strongly to disorders of the masticatory muscles than to temporomandibular joint disorders. Empirical reports show only low correlations between emotional stress and CMD signs and symptoms, and that some of them might be spurious. In the present study this correlation was assessed in 417 adolescents from 11 to 16 years old. Data from the clinical examination were used to construct two indices: 1) The number of muscles sites tender to palpation, and 2) signs from the joint and restricted movement. Results show that global stress was only significantly correlated with the muscle index (r = .20), but not with the other index. Only the multiple regression analyses regarding muscle disorders had a significant beta weight of global stress that remained significant when controlling for the intervening variables age, gender and psychosomatic symptoms. The pattern of the stress-specific and unspecific CMD signs was consistent with the postulated stress model. Since there are positive results with regard to the stress model in patient samples and in this unselected sample of adolescents, further research is indicated, including the concept of somatization more explicitly.

[Do temporomandibular disorders really exist?].

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) is a collective term embracing a number of clinical problems that involve the muscles of mastication, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and associated structures or both. This group of disorders has been identified as the chief cause of pain, which is not of dental origin, in the orofacial area, and is defined as a subgroup in the category of musculoskeletal disorders. These disorders impair the quality of life of those suffering from them due to the extent of the pain and the chronic nature of its symptoms. It is known that chronic pain causes the development of psychological disturbances (anxiety, depression, etc.). The most common symptoms of TMD are the pain that usually appears as the result of mandibular activity (speaking or chewing), and is usually located in the masticulatory muscles, in the preauricular area and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Additional common symptoms are: a. restriction in jaw movement; b. asymmetry in jaw movement; c. noises from the joint. Patients suffering from TMD are likely to exhibit additional symptoms: hypertrophy of the muscles of mastication (an adaptive and asymptomatic phenomenon), abnormal occlusar erosion due to nighttime or daytime bruxism, or teeth grinding. Most functional temporomandibular disorders have similar signs and symptoms. As a result, diagnosis of the various disorders presents a serious problem. Functional temporomandibular disorders are often accompanied by mental symptoms such as depression, anxiety and/or somatization on various levels. One of today's accepted methods of classification also refers to the mental aspect and thus enables, for the first time, a suitable scientific comparison of the epidemiological, diagnostic and treatment data in the various studies. This method, initiated by Dworkin and LeResche (1992) is known as Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). The purpose of this method is to classify every subgroup of TMD according to agreed upon, clear and measurable diagnostic criteria, both from the physical (AXIS I) and the mental (AXIS II) aspect. The method includes a scale which grades the extent of severity, damage and limitations caused by the illness, in a manner which now can make scientific comparisons between the various studies and between the population of patients and the general population. Temporomandibular disorders are very common and affect between 30%-50% of the population, and appear to be more prevalent among women than among men. Studies conducted on youth revealed significant relationships between oral parafunctions (especially chewing gum and "jaw playing"), and functional temporomandibular disorders. The significance of this finding is in the need to warn young people of the possible risks of engaging in intensive oral practices. The high prevalence of signs and symptoms among the Israeli population obligates us, in our opinion, to change the physical examination for identification of these disorders, to a routine procedure in all dental clinics in Israel.

Psychological distress in chronic craniomandibular and cervical spinal pain patients.

Recent studies to chronic pain have shown that the number of painful body areas is related to the level of psychological distress. Therefore, the first aim of this study was to analyse differences in level of psychological distress between craniomandibular pain patients with or without cervical spinal pain. In this analysis, the number of painful body areas below the cervical spine was also taken into account. The second aim was to determine psychological differences between subgroups of craniomandibular pain patients. In this study, 103 out of 250 persons with or without craniomandibular pain were included in the final analyses. Patients who suffered from both craniomandibular and cervical spinal pain showed higher levels of psychological distress, as measured with the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) than patients with local craniomandibular pain and persons without pain. Further, a positive relationship was found between the number of painful body areas below the cervical spine, as measured on a body drawing, and the SCL-90 scores. No psychological differences were found between myogenous and arthrogenous craniomandibular pain patients. In conclusion, chronic craniomandibular pain patients with a coexistent cervical spinal pain showed more psychological distress compared to patients with only a local craniomandibular pain and asymptomatic persons.

Emotional stress and craniomandibular dysfunction in children.

This study investigated the relationship between craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) and emotionally stressful states measured by the urinary catecholamines in 314 children aged six to eight years. The children were examined clinically and interviewed by the same investigator. During the clinical examination the following variables were recorded: maximal mouth opening with and without pain, deviation of the mandible in opening wide, muscle and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) tenderness or pain and sounds from the TMJ. The variables recorded during the interview were headaches, difficulties in opening wide, pain upon opening wide, and clicking. A questionnaire was distributed to the parents to collect information regarding socioeconomic factors. A 24-hour urine sample was collected for each subject and analyzed by the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique to assay the catecholamine content. The logistic multiple regression analysis was carried out to test whether craniomandibular dysfunction was affected by the studied variables. A 95% probability level was used. The results showed that epinephrine had a significant effect on TMJ tenderness, while norepinephrine and dopamine did not have a significant association with any of the signs and symptoms of CMD. The data suggest that emotionally stressful states increase the probability of developing TMJ tenderness in children of this age.

[Multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment of craniomandibular disorders]. / Multidisciplinaire diagnostiek en behandeling van craniomandibulaire dysfunctie.

Treatment of craniomandibular disorders (CMD) requires a multidisciplinary approach. The CMD-team of the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) therefore consists not only of specialists in CMD and orofacial pain, but also of physiotherapists and a psychologist. Possible CMD-patients are referred to this team by the dentist-general practitioner, either directly or upon request of a family physician or a medical specialist; the many rules of such referrals are outlined in the article. The CMD-team regularly consults other disciplines for diagnosis and/or treatment of their patients. For instance, internal referrals are sometimes made to the departments of Oral radiology, Endontology, Periodontology, Orthodontics, or Oral and maxillofacial surgery. External referrals to, for example, a speech therapist or a medical specialist (e.g., a pain specialist) are arranged by the family physician upon request of the CMD-team.

Disfunción craneomandibular: revisión actualizada de los factores etiopatogénicos / Craniomandibular dysfunction: a current review of the etiopathogenic factors

A partir de un modelo presuntivo que involucra seis factores etiopatogénicos asociados a la DCM: oclusales, psicosociales, parafunción, genéticos, hipermovilidad articular sistémica (HAS) y trauma, se analizan los trabajos de publicación reciente referidos a cada uno de ellos evaluándose su posible contribución etiopatogénica. Se especifican algunos hallazgos controversiales, sobre todo los referidos a los factores oclusales que, a partir de revisiones y nuevas publicaciones, han puesto en duda su carácter relevante asociado a la DCM. Los aspectos psicológicos parecen mantener su valor contributivo, históricamente considerado, advirtiéndose cierto énfasis para los denominados "psicosociales", involucrando aspectos contingentes y cicunstancias referidos al entorno socioeconómico. En cuanto a la parafunción, en particular el bruxismo, se señalan las dificultades metodológicas para evaluar su frecuencia y el grado de certeza de su valor contributivo asociado a la DCM. Los factores genéticos y la HAS, asociada a patologías intracapsulares, deberán ser estudiadas más ampliamente en el futuro, pues pueden ser la clave para el reconocimeinto de aspectos aún no aclarados sobre mecanismos etiopatogénicos de la DCM. En cuanto a los factores traumáticos, la posibles deformación de los resultados por razones económicas secundarias, propias de los litigios legales, habría "sobreinterpretado" algunos hallazgos. Aún así, hay un importante número de trabajos asociándolos a la DCM

Personality traits in a group of subjects with long-standing bruxing behaviour.

The personality pattern of 29 subjects, 10 men and 19 women, with a mean age of 37.7 years (range 23-68) was studied by means of a personality inventory (KSP) and compared with the personality traits of a 'normal population'. The bruxers had significantly higher scores in the somatic anxiety and muscular tension scales and lower scores in the socialization scale; that is, the bruxers were more anxiety-prone, had higher vulnerability for psychosomatic disorders and were less socialized. The frequent clenchers (once to twice a week) comprised a special subgroup within the material with higher values in the somatic anxiety, psychic anxiety and muscular tension scales. A strong correlation was found between high values in the muscular tension scale and headache; aching neck, back, throat or shoulders; tooth clenching; number of muscles tender at palpation and the clinical dysfunction index (Di). The results of this study indicate a possible aetiological relationship between personality, tooth clenching and craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD). However, the material was small and some precaution must be taken prior to generalization of the results. Studies on larger material are needed and especially more studies in sleep laboratories.

[Clinical evaluation and psychological aspects of temporomandibular joint disorders]. / Evaluation clinique et aspects psychologiques des troubles temporo-mandibulaires.

Establishing the patient's clinical diagnosis depends on gathering as much information of the patient and his or her signs and symptoms as possible. This information can be gathered from history, physical and psychological examination, diagnostic analysis. It is also important to look upon pain as a disorder and to consider the relationship between pain and psychological factors. The differential diagnosis is constructed through a biopsychological model of illness rather than through a more traditional biomedical model of disease. To arrive at a consistently accurate clinical diagnosis in patients with TMJ and craniofacial pain, the technique of clinical diagnosis must be well defined, reliable and include examination of the head and the neck, cranial nerves and the stomatognathic system. The craniomandibular index provides a standardized examination of the stomatognathic system that has been tested on validity and reliability. This chapter focuses on the techniques of history taking clinical and psychological examination and diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular joint disorders and muscle pain.

Fluctuation of treatment need for temporomandibular disorders and age, gender, stress, and diagnostic subgroup.

Associations between fluctuation of treatment need for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and age, gender, stress, and diagnostic subgrouping were analyzed in a 2-year follow-up of 391 subjects. All the studied factors were significantly associated with the treatment need for TMD at all examinations. The diagnostic subgroup (TMD arthro, TMD myo, TMD comb, or non-classified) at base line was significantly associated with the fluctuation of the treatment need for TMD also during the follow-up, but age, gender, and stress score were not. In the subgroup needing active treatment for TMD at least once during the follow-up (n = 65), the stress score did not show statistically significant covariation with the treatment need. The diagnostic subgrouping of these 65 subjects at the second and third examination at 12-month intervals did not show any association with the subgrouping at base line or with any studied variable. Detailed descriptive diagnostics may serve well in treatment planning but do not necessarily help us in understanding the nature of TMD.

Ten-year follow-up study of personality traits in adults with intact and restored dentitions.

The personality traits of 69 of a sample of 70 adolescents aged 25-26 years were re-examined after 10 years by means of a personality inventory (KSP). A total of 11 subjects had intact dentitions (group I), while 18 subjects had had some fillings in their teeth since the first examination (group FI), and 40 subjects had restored dentitions from the starting-point (group F). The subjects with fillings 10 years ago had significantly higher scores in two of the anxiety variables--somatic anxiety and muscular tension--and in the hostility variable, suspicion, than did those without the fillings. Together with the finding of a significant correlation between high scores for the clinical dysfunction index (DiII and DiIII) and the muscular tension scale, the results of this study support the hypothesis of a possible correlation between dental filling therapy, craniomandibular disorders (CMD) and personality. Frequent tooth clenching (once to twice a week or more) was significantly more common among the subjects with fillings 10 years ago. The clenchers scored highest in the somatic anxiety, muscular tension and suspicion scales and constituted a well-defined subgroup within the subjects of this study. There was a highly significant increase of muscular tension among the clenchers during the 10-year examination period compared to the non-clenchers. However, the results of this study are not clear-cut. There was no statistically significant difference in personality between subjects with fillings after 10 years (group F + Fi) and the group of subjects with intact teeth (group I). Hypothetically, this may indicate that the differences found in this study could be due to how long the fillings had been in the mouth and at which age they were inserted. In order to test the hypothesis further and to establish the possible mechanisms behind this finding, more studies are necessary and especially more longitudinal comparative studies between subjects with intact and restored dentitions.

Ten-year follow-up study of signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders in adults with intact and restored dentitions.

Signs and symptoms of craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) and oral parafunctions were re-examined in subjects, 25-26 years of age, 10 years after the first examination. Forty subjects had restored dentitions at both examinations (group F), 18 subjects with previously intact dentitions had had fillings in their teeth during the follow-up period (group FI), and 11 subjects had intact dentitions at both examinations (group I). Signs and symptoms of CMD were more common among the subjects in group F than in the original group of subjects with intact teeth (group 10). In accordance with the first study most of the symptoms were mild and of low frequency. However, frequent symptoms were only found among the subjects in group FI and group F and more severe frequent symptoms only in group F. There was an increase of the symptoms in group FI and group F. Frequent tooth clenching and frequent tongue pressing were more common in group F and there was a statistically significant increase in group FI concerning tooth clenching and tooth grinding and in group F concerning tooth grinding, tooth clenching and tongue pressing. Together with the correlations found between tooth clenching and signs and symptoms of CMD, the findings in this study and the personality study indicate a possible causal relationship between oral parafunctions, signs and symptoms of CMD, personality and fillings. A hypothesis for the possible mechanisms is presented. However, the findings are not conclusive and more studies are necessary, and for further interpretation of the results, studies from other research centres would be of interest.