engleski

Temporomandibular joint disorder in children and adolescents compared with adult patient population

Background and aims: The aim of this study was to compare clinical characteristics of children and adolescents in the sample of general patient population with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Methods: A prospective study was carried out between January 2001 and December 2008 and it included 110 patients with anterior disc displacement of TMJ. The whole sample of patients was divided in two groups: 16 patients aged under 20 and the remaining 94 patients (ranging from 20-82) who were seeking treatment. Diagnostics was based on clinical examination and it was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging of all patients' TMJs. Pain intensity was rated on a visual-analogue scale (AVS 1-10). Results: There is no statistical difference between average pain in patients over 20 (5.72) and patients aged up to 19 (4.96) evaluated by AVS (p=0.156). There was a statistically significant difference (p=0.002) in pain duration: patients over 20 years of age reported shorter duration of experienced pain (10.57 months) than patients aged up to 19 (5.5 months). There is no difference between average active mouth opening in patients over 20 (41.57 mm) and patients aged up to 19 (39.19 mm) (p=0.303). The main symptom in both groups, patients over 20 (79.79%) and patients up to 19 years of age (56.25%), was TMJ pain (p=0.128). Conclusions: Incidence of TMJ disorders is most frequent between 18 and 40 years of age, however, in this study it was found that 14.55% were patients aged over 20. They experienced shorter TMJ pain duration before seeking treatment.

temporomandibular disorders; childeren; adolescents; magnetic resonance imaging

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