Correlation between mental well-being and severity of class II temporomandibular joint disorders, compared to non-temporomandibular joint disorders

Abstract

Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) are one of the most common ailments encountered in the craniofacial region, with various clinical, radiological and psychological manifestations but often go undiagnosed due to lack of a diagnostic protocol to assess and correlate all these factors in order to create an effective management plan based on early diagnosis. The objectives of this research are to assess, compare and co-relate the severity of clinical and radiological findings with mental well-being in class II (vertical growth pattern) TMD cases as compared to class I non-TMD cases. Grading of skeletal class II cases on the severity of TMD will be done using Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs (DC/TMD). Bilateral sagittal as well as coronal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images will be obtained. Evaluation and grading of mental well-being and anxiety will be done using the Warwick-Edinburgh and Hamilton scales, respectively. The expected results are a probable positive correlation between the severity of clinical and radiological symptoms of TMDs and deteriorating mental well-being in the form of stress, anxiety and depression. A cause-effect relationship may be evaluated with the aim of early diagnosis and management of TMDs as improving the quality of life of these cases. This study will aid in identifying the clinical symptoms and articular disc position on MRI as they correlate with the mental well-being status and anxiety levels in TMD cases. Further management and early intervention can be undertaken in such cases to prevent or stall the progression of TMD into severe forms while improving the quality of life (QoL) in such cases.