Initial assessment of the psycho-emotional state of patients with temporomandibular disorders: A pilot study

Background. Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of conditions that affect the function of the masticatory muscles, temporomandibular joints and surrounding structures.Objectives. The objective of the preliminary investigation was to develop an initial questionnaire for emotional assessment, pre-designed for TMD patients, and provide guidance for further management through referral to psychological and/or psychiatric counseling. Additionally, we aimed to compare the results of tests carried out in TMD patients with those of healthy subjects.Material and methods. The study involved 260 patients who reported for dental treatment. The TMD study group (Group 1, n = 130) consisted of patients diagnosed with TMD, and the control group (Group 2, n = 130) had TMD diagnostically excluded. The questionnaire included 30 questions about the emotional state of the patients in the past 4 weeks.Results. The mean scores were 37.715 points for Group 1 (median (Me) = 35.5, standard deviation (SD) = 12.58 and 24.938 points for Group 2 (Me = 24, SD = 7.95) (p < 0.001).Conclusions. The research suggests that the developed questionnaire is useful for an initial assessment of the psycho-emotional state of TMD patients. Furthermore, the results emphasize a greater need for psychological counseling in TMD patients compared to their healthy counterparts.