Patterns of temporomandibular disorders among patients at a tertiary hospital, Central Ethiopia: a 10-year retrospective study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background:-Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are frequent pathological disorders encompassing a broad range of pathologies of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), masticatory muscles and related structures. The prevalence of TMD has been comprehensively studied over the years around the world. However, in Ethiopia, studies in this area are scarce. The aim of this research was to assess the past ten years pattern of TMDs among patients attended SPHMMC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on review of medical records of patients during the past ten years. Data was collected by reviewing the medical records of patients who visited the department of dental and maxillofacial surgery from January 2011 to December 2020 G.C by using a pre-prepared checklist and analyzed using SPSS v.26. Result: The findings of this study revealed that TMDs were more frequent in females (64%) than in males (36%). It was observed that TMDs are more common (28%) among patients in the age range of 21-30 years. Trauma, psychological problems, parafunctional habits, systemic disease and malocclusion were the main causes of TMDs. joint pain, Clicking sound, difficulty of mouth opening, ear pain, headache, tinnitus and difficulty of chewing, were mainly reported clinical signs and symptoms. These clinical manifestations or signs and symptoms were reported as more prevalent among female patients (47.3 %) as compared with male patients (27.4 %). The most usual treatments provided to patients with TMD were conservative treatment 241 (90.6 %) patients followed by open joint surgery 4 (1.5 %). Conclusion: The study concludes that TMDs are more common in females and the younger age groups. The study recommends for females and younger age groups beyond the usual application of conservative treatment, raising awareness for patients, counseling, self-care and stress managements are recommended. Key words: Temporomandibular disorder, Trauma, psychological problem, parafunctional habits, clicking sound, joint pain and conservative treatment.