Temporomandibular disorders in North Indian population visiting a tertiary care dental hospital

BACKGROUND: The terminology “temporomandibular disorders” (TMDs) encompasses a wide spectrum of conditions. Several hypothesized causes are occlusal disharmony, muscle hyperactivity, central pain mechanisms, psychological distress, and trauma. In day-to-day practice, TMDs had become more prevalent in Indian population due to changed dietary pattern and food habits, excessive stress of modern life, and other environmental causes. This study is an attempt to find the prevalence of TMDs in North Indian population. AIMS: The present study is taken into account to determine the prevalence of TMDs on the basis of signs and symptoms based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. A total of 1009 patients aged between 6 and 80 years with a mean age of 42.04 ± 16.8 years seeking dental treatment from January 2016 to June 2017 were included in the study. All the patients were screened for TMD sign and symptoms. The demographic data and the signs and symptoms of TMDs were recorded in designed structured questionnaires which were based on the RDC/TMD criteria. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 1009 patients aged between 6 and 80 years. In the present study population, based on RDC/TMD criteria, the incidence of clicking sound (42.5%) was highest in TMD joint followed by deviation of mandible on mouth opening (40.8%), internal derangement (36.8%), myofacial pain dysfunction syndrome (33.7%), osteoarthritis (29.5%), crepitus (25.8%), joint tenderness (5.8%), and pain on mouth opening (4.8%). CONCLUSION: Clicking sound was the most common sign of TMD disorders in Indian population.