Temporomandibular disorders and chronic daily headaches in the community and in specialty care.

BACKGROUND: Chronic daily headaches (CDHs) are often associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). However, large studies assessing the relationship were conducted in general, and not clinical, populations. Thus, clinical exams were not completed. Clinic-based studies with expert diagnosis are, in turn, often small and may not be representative. OBJECTIVE: To contrast the demographic and clinical symptoms of CDH and TMD in participants within the general population relative to patients seen in a headache clinic. METHODS: All inhabitants 10 years and older of a small city in Brazil were interviewed. Those with more than 15 days of headache per month were examined by a team consisting of a neurologist, a dentist, and a physical therapist. Headaches were classified as per the Second Edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders and TMD as per the Research Diagnostic Criteria. The procedure was repeated (by the same team) with CDH sufferers consecutively seen in a headache center. RESULTS: Of 1605 inhabitants interviewed, 57 (3.6%) had CDH, and 43 completed all physical assessments. For specialty care group, of 289 patients, 92 had CDH, and 85 completed all assessments. No significant differences were seen for gender and age, but education level was significantly higher among those recruited at specialty care. Muscular TMD happened in 30.2% of CDH patients from the community vs 55.3% in the headache center (difference of -25.1%, 95% confidence interval of difference=-40.8% to -9.4%). No TMD happened in 41.9% of those recruited from the population relative to 20% of those in the headache center (21.9%, 95% confidence interval=6.7-37.1%). CONCLUSION: Individuals with CDH recruited from the general population are significantly less likely to have CDH relative to those selected from the headache center. Issues of generalizability are of concern when conducting clinic-based studies on the topic.

Temporo-mandibular disorders are an important comorbidity of migraine and may be clinically difficult to distinguish them from tension-type headache.

UNLABELLED: Clinical differentiation between the primary headaches and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) can be challenging. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between TMD and primary headaches by conducting face to face assessments in patients from an orofacial pain clinic and a headache tertiary center. METHOD: Sample consists of 289 individuals consecutively identified at a headache center and 78 individuals seen in an orofacial pain clinic because of symptoms suggestive of TMD. RESULTS: Migraine was diagnosed in 79.8% of headache sufferers, in headache tertiary center, and 25.6% of those in orofacial pain clinic (p<0.001). Tension-type headache was present in 20.4% and 46.1%, while the TMD painful occurred in 48.1% and 70.5% respectively (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: TMD is an important comorbidity of migraine and difficult to distinguish clinically from tension-type headache, and this headache was more frequent in the dental center than at the medical center.

Temporo-mandibular disorders are an important comorbidity of migraine and may be clinically difficult to distinguish them from tension-type headache / Desordens temporomandibulares sao comorbidade importante da migranea e podem ser clinicamente dificeis de distinguir da cefaleia tipo tensional

Clinical differentiation between the primary headaches and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) can be challenging. Objectives : To investigate the relationship between TMD and primary headaches by conducting face to face assessments in patients from an orofacial pain clinic and a headache tertiary center. Method : Sample consists of 289 individuals consecutively identified at a headache center and 78 individuals seen in an orofacial pain clinic because of symptoms suggestive of TMD. Results : Migraine was diagnosed in 79.8% of headache sufferers, in headache tertiary center, and 25.6% of those in orofacial pain clinic (p<0.001). Tension-type headache was present in 20.4% and 46.1%, while the TMD painful occurred in 48.1% and 70.5% respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion : TMD is an important comorbidity of migraine and difficult to distinguish clinically from tension-type headache, and this headache was more frequent in the dental center than at the medical center. .

A diferenciação clínica entre as cefaleias primárias e as disfunções temporomandibulares (DTM) pode ser desafiadora. Objetivos : Investigar a relação entre DTM e cefaleias primárias conduzindo uma avaliação face a face entre pacientes de um centro de dor orofacial e de um centro terciário de cefaleia. Método : A amostra consistiu de 289 indivíduos avaliados consecutivamente em um centro terciário de cefaleia e 78 indivíduos de uma clínica orofacial. Resultados : A migrânea foi diagnosticada em 79,8% dos pacientes do centro de cefaleia e 25,6% dos pacientes do centro de dor orofacial. A cefaleia do tipo tensional esteve presente em 20,4% e 46,1%, enquanto as DTM dolorosas ocorreram em 48,1% e 70,5% respectivamente (p<0,001). Conclusão : DTM é uma comorbidade importante da migrânea e difícil de distinguir clinicamente da cefaleia do tipo tensional, tanto que esta cefaleia foi mais frequente no centro odontológico do que no centro médico. .