Clinical features of Temporomandibular disorders: validity and reliability of the Fonseca Anamnestic Index in Persian

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of disorders associated with masticatory dysfunction and include pain in masticatory muscles or temporomandibular joint (TMJ), limitation in mandibular movement, and clicking in the joint. Nowadays TMD is a worldwide problem. TMDs are usually diagnosed late because of the unawareness of patients and this results in complicated surgical treatments. So early diagnosis and treatment of TMD are essential. Methods: We translated the Fonseca’s Anamnestic Index (FAI) from the English version to Persian and then checked its reliability and validity. The following data for 350 patients were recorded: demographic information, subjective symptoms based on FAI, and objective signs (presence of joint noise, maximum opening of jaws, occlusion type, presence of crossbite, and deviation). Results: 350 patients precipitated in this study. Based on FAI scores 161(46%) people had TMD. There was no significant difference between occlusion classes in terms of the frequency of TMD. There was a significant difference between gender, cross-bite status, presence of TMJ sounds, short toothless space or no toothless space, and number of missing teeth in terms of TMD frequency. There was no significant difference between the mean maximum mouth opening and severity of TMD. There was a significant difference between deviation, deflection, or straight mouth opening in terms of severity of TMD. Conclusion: This study confirmed the validity and reliability of the FAI in the Persian language. Our results showed there was a significant relationship between the severity of TMD and gender, unilateral posterior crossbite, deviation in mouth opening, joint sounds, the length and location of edentulous space, and the mean of the number of missing teeth.