Comparison of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction of Team and Individual Athletes

Abstract

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a group of disorders characterized by pain and dysfunction in the masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joints (TMJs). Although there are limited studies on this subject, available data show that TMD complaints are common in competitive athletes. In this study, it was aimed to compare the presence of TMD in team and individual sportsmen. In this study, a cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 338 people, 97 women, and 241 men from different sports branches, who are between the ages of 18 and 25, participated in the study. The presence of TMD in participants was assessed using the Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI), which contains ten questions. According to the score obtained from the questionnaire, individuals were classified as having no TMD, mild, moderate, or severe TMD. The data was analyzed statistically. 28.69% of the study group was female and 71.31% was male. There were no severe TMD cases in individual sports. While moderate and severe cases were 13.4% in females, they were 7.8% in males. There was no difference in TMD scores between team sports and individual sports (p>0.05). There was a significant difference between females and males in terms of TMD scores. The TMD scores in females were higher than in males (p=0.023). TMD scores were found to be higher in those who were stressed and had clenching or jaw pain (p=0.001, p=0.001 respectively). There was no difference between income status, tooth brushing frequency, and TMD. As far as we know, this is the first study to evaluate the relationship between sports branches and TMD. Our results showed that there was no difference in TMD scores between individual and team athletes. These results highlight the need for additional research to identify other risk factors.