Temporomandibular disorders among Ehlers-Danlos syndromes: a narrative review.

This narrative review aims to demonstrate and summarize the complex relationship between Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) by reviewing the results of observational studies and case reports. EDS are a set of hereditary connective tissue disorders, where generalized joint hypermobility (GJH), especially in the hypermobile subtype (hEDS), is a key symptom. Mutations have been identified in genes that impact the production or assembly of collagen for all subtypes except hEDS. While the correlation between GJH and TMD has been analysed in various studies, fewer studies have examined TMD in patients with EDS, with most showing an increased prevalence of TMD. In case-control studies, an elevated prevalence of myalgia, arthralgia and disc-related disorders was found in individuals with EDS. Various therapeutic interventions have been reported within the literature in the form of case reports and observational studies, but there are no long-term clinical trials with results on the efficacy of different therapeutic approaches to date. This review demonstrates the high prevalence of different TMDs in different subtypes of EDS, but also shows that little is known about the success of treatment thus far. Further clinical research is necessary to provide adequate guidance on targeted treatment.

Clinical characteristics of oral lichen planus and its causal context with dental restorative materials and oral health-related quality of life.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of clinical characteristics and dental restorative materials on oral health-related quality of life in patients with oral lichen planus. In particular, the influences of amalgam and metals were investigated. METHODS: A total of 112 patients with clinical and histological features of oral lichen planus from the Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery at the University Hospital of Münster participated in this prospective study. Clinical parameters of oral lichen planus and the dental restorative materials used were evaluated. Oral health-related quality of life was investigated by using the short form of the German version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). In addition, physical pain was rated on a visual analogue scale. RESULTS: The average OHIP-14 score was 13.54. A high correlation was seen between OHIP and pain. Likewise, higher OHIP-values were seen for male patients, and such as for those patients with non-reticular forms of oral lichen planus (OLP). A local form of OLP is more often seen on female patients, such as with the presence of reticular lichen. In regard to the restorations, the presence of composite restorations is correlated with a local lichen, whereas the presence of gold restorations is often seen with a generalized lichen. Furthermore, the grading of strength of association between mucosal lesion and amalgam/metal was tested. No significant differences revealed the analysis of the relationship between gender, clinical form of OLP, age, and presentation form between the 4 gradings of Thornhill. CONCLUSIONS: The oral health-related quality of life is significantly limited in patients with oral lichen planus. But these OHIP scores are not influenced by the restorative materials. Here, pain severity is the most important aspect. We found no statistical differences in the clinical parameters between patients with amalgam or metal restoration and patients without these restorations. It is not necessary to replace amalgam fillings that are not in direct contact with mucosal surfaces.

Does the Clinical Form of Oral Lichen Planus (OLP) Influence the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL)?

(1) Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) and to evaluate differences between the various clinical forms of OLP. Specifically, the differences in OHRQoL, physical pain levels and eating restriction were assessed; (2) Methods: One hundred and twelve patients with clinical and histological features of OLP from the Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery of the Münster University Hospital participated in this prospective study. OHRQoL was analysed by using the German short version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Physical pain levels and restriction in eating were rated on visual analogue scales (VAS). The statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U-Test and the chi-squared test with a significance level at p = 0.05; (3) Results: Group 1 consisted of patients with reticular OLP (n = 50) and group 2 of patients with atrophic, erosive-ulcerative or bullous OLP (n = 62). The average OHIP-14 score was 13.54 points and differed significantly between the two groups. There were significant differences in the domains "physical pain", "psychological discomfort", "physical disability" and "social disability". The VAS "physical pain" score and "restriction in eating" score varied significantly between the clinical forms. Positive correlations were found between the OHIP-14 total scores and the VAS scores; (4) Conclusion: The OHRQoL is significantly limited in patients with OLP; especially, patients with erosive-ulcerative OLP are affected.