Association among headache, temporomandibular disorder, and awake bruxism: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between headache, myofascial temporomandibular disorder (TMD), and awake bruxism (AB). BACKGROUND: Bruxism seems to act as a risk factor for TMD and its associated comorbidities, such as headaches. METHODS: In total, 406 medical records of individuals who sought care at a university dental clinic were screened. The Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders was used to assess and diagnose TMD, as well as to obtain self-reports of AB and headache. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 307 medical records. About 72.5% (221/305) of the sample reported having headaches, and 67.4% (180/267) and 68.4% (210/307) were diagnosed with AB and TMD, respectively. Individuals who reported having AB (odds ratio [OR], 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-4.7) and who were diagnosed with myofascial TMD (OR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.15-5.5) were more likely to have had headaches in the past 6 months when compared with patients without myofascial TMD and bruxism. Also, individuals who self-reported headache were 2.27 times (95% CI, 1.09-4.7) more likely to have AB and 2.45 times (95% CI, 1.13-5.34) more likely to have myofascial pain than individuals without headaches. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with myofascial TMD, headaches, or AB were more likely to have at least one of the other conditions.

Does marital status influence TMD-related chronic pain? A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Pain is a complex sensory experience and can be influenced by psychosocial factors, such as romantic relationships. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between marital status and temporomandibular disorder-related chronic pain. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) through Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) Axis I were assessed for chronic pain and marital and socioeconomic status, according to Axis II. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed the association between chronic pain and the predictive variables. RESULTS: Three hundred and ten patients were included in the sample, the majority being female (74.5%), single (52.3%), and diagnosed with chronic pain (85.1%). The adjusted analysis showed about a 5-time greater chance of chronic pain occurrence with high disability in individuals who were married or in a common-law marriage (OR 5.99; 95% CI 1.45-24.73). Also, women were 7.62 times more likely to develop chronic pain with high disability (OR 7.62; 95% CI 2.03-28.52). CONCLUSION: Marital status showed an impact on chronic pain, with married individuals and those in a common-law marriage being the most affected by high disability chronic pain.