Prevalence of anamnestic symptoms and clinical signs of temporomandibular disorders in adolescents—Results of the epidemiologic LIFE Child Study

BACKGROUND: Prevalence values for symptoms and signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in adolescents vary within the literature due to differences in set-ups of examination protocols. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to present prevalence values for symptoms and signs of TMD in German adolescents that were observed within a standardised examination. Prevalence values comparing gender or pubertal status should be investigated. METHODS: A cross-sectional sample of the LIFE Child Study aged 10 to 18 was examined. A questionnaire gathering anamnestic symptoms of TMD was completed, and an examination according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) was performed by trained dentists. Pubertal status according to Tanner stages was documented. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were performed. RESULTS: A total of 1.116 participants (mean age 12.9 years, 51.4% female) were consecutively recruited. Most prevalent anamnestic symptoms were headaches (55.7%) and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sounds (17.6%). The major clinical sign was TMJ sounds (31.9%). Both the examination of muscles or TMJs showed that pain to palpation was statistically significantly higher than familiar pain (P < .001). Gender comparisons revealed higher prevalence values and an increase in TMD symptoms and signs during pubertal development in females. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of self-reported headaches, as well as anamnestic and clinical TMJ sounds, was high in German adolescents. Prevalence values for pain to palpation and familiar pain obtained relevant differences. Considering the DC/TMD, females are more affected by TMD signs and symptoms that increase during pubertal development, than male adolescents.