Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorder Subtypes, Psychologic Distress, and Psychosocial Dysfunction in Asian Patients

Aims: To use the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporo-mandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) to investigate the physical diagnoses, psychologic distress, and psychosocial dysfunction in Asian TMD patients. The RDC/TMD Axis I and II findings were compared to those of Swedish and American TMD patients. Methods: One hundred ninety-one patients (53 male and 138 female) referred to 2 institutionalized TMD clinics in Singapore were enrolled in the study. The mean age of the predominantly Chinese population (83.2%) was 33.6 ± 9.3 years. Data from a RDC/TMD history questionnaire and clinical examination were fed directly by patients and clinicians into a computerized diagnos-tic system (NUS TMDv1.1). Axis I and II findings were generated on-line, based on RDC/TMD rule engines. Data were automati-cally exported to SPSS for statistical analysis. Results: Group I (muscle) disorders were found in 31.4% of the patients; Group II (disc displacement) disorders were found in 15.1% and 15.7% of the patients in the left and right temporomandibular joints, respec-tively; and Group III (arthralgia, arthritis, and arthrosis) disorders were found in 12.6% and 13.0% of the patients in the left and right joints, respectively. Axis II assessment of psychologic status showed that 39.8% of patients experienced moderate to severe depression and 47.6% had moderate to severe nonspecific physical symptom scores. Psychosocial dysfunction was observed in only 4.2% of patients based on graded chronic pain scores. Conclusion: Axis I and II findings of Asian TMD patients were generally similar to their Swedish and American cohorts. In all 3 populations, women of child-bearing age represented the majority of patients. Muscle disorders were the most prevalent type of TMD. A substantial portion of TMD patients were depressed and experienced moderate to severe somatization.

temporomandibular disorders; diagnoses; psychology; psychosocial; Asian

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