Mental Well‐Being Is Associated With Temporomandibular Disorder Pain Onset and Remission

Background Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) impact the everyday lives of those affected. However, the longitudinal role of sick leave and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in TMD‐pain onset and remission is largely unknown. Objectives To explore whether TMD‐pain onset and remission are associated with HRQoL and sick‐leave history. Methods The cohort comprised 33 571 individuals, aged 23–74 years, who participated in a community intervention programme and had routine dental check‐ups in Västerbotten County, Sweden. HRQoL was assessed using two domains, i.e., Mental Component Summary (mental well‐being) and Physical Component Summary (physical well‐being), of the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire. Sick‐leave history was defined as self‐reported sick leave for at least 6 months. Associations with TMD‐pain onset and remission were analysed using Markov multi‐state models. Results Better mental and physical well‐being were associated with lower rates of TMD‐pain onset (hazard ratio [HR] per 10‐unit increase: 0.84, CI: 0.79–0.89, and 0.90, CI: 0.84–0.96, respectively), whereas sick leave was associated with higher rates (HR: 1.18, CI: 1.03–1.36). Better mental and physical well‐being were associated with higher rates of TMD‐pain remission (HR per 10‐unit increase: 1.33, CI: 1.28–1.37, and 1.68, CI: 1.62–1.75, respectively), whereas sick leave was associated with lower rates (HR: 0.49, CI: 0.46–0.53). Conclusions The associations of sick leave, mental well‐being, and physical well‐being with TMD‐pain remission emphasise the importance of applying a holistic approach to pain assessment and management. In addition, mental well‐being is associated with TMD‐pain onset, indicating that this could be a factor to consider when designing preventative strategies.