International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 9, September 2012 1 ISSN 2250-3153 www.ijsrp.org A Cross Sectional Study of Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders in University Students Dr. Priyanka Modi 1 , Dr. Safia Shoeb Shaikh 2 , Dr. Anita Munde 3 1 Postgraduate Student, Department of Oral Medicine and Maxillofacial Radiology, Rural Dental College, PIMS, Loni, Maharashtra, India. 2 Professor and Head, Department of Oral Medicine and Maxillofacial Radiology, Rural Dental College, PIMS Loni, Maharashtra, India. 3 Professor, Department of Oral Medicine and Maxillofacial Radiology, Rural Dental College, PIMS, Loni, Maharashtra, India. Abstract- Aim – To investigate the prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) among university students. Material and methods – In this cross sectional prospective study, the sample consisted of 310 students (105 male and 205 female) with an age range from 18-25 years. The prevalence and severity of TMD was determined using a self reported anamnestic questionnaires. The symptoms were transposed into a severity classification according to the number and frequency of positive responses. Data was evaluated by the chi-square test between TMD severity and gender. Results – The result showed that 45.16% of students reported some level of TMD: 34.83% mild TMD; 8.38% moderate TMD; 1.96% severe TMD. No significant relationship was found between gender and TMD severity. Conclusion – A high prevalence of TMD was found in this student population, however most of cases were mild. The relationship between gender and TMD severity was not statistically significant. Despite suffering from TMD students were not aware of their disorders. Index Terms- Temporomandibular Disorder, Prevalence, Epidemiology I. INTRODUCTION emporomandibular joint (TMJ) function has been the subject of considerable study for over a century, and despite voluminous literature, the multifactorial etiology of temporomandibular dysfunction is even today a cryptic issue [1]. Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a collective term that defines a subgroup of painful orofacial disorders involving complaints of pain on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) region and fatigue of craniocervicofacial muscles, especially mastication muscles, limitations of mandibular movement and presence of articular clicking. The multifactorial TMD etiology is related to emotional tension, occlusal interferences, teeth loss, postural deviation, masticatory muscular dysfunction, internal and external changes in TMJ structure and the various associations of these factors [2,3] Due to high prevalence and variability of complaints, TMD is diagnosed by associating signs and symptoms as some characteristics may be frequent even in a non-patient population. Reported prevalence rates vary broadly (from 26% to 50%) reflecting important differences in sample, criteria and methods used for collecting information. Different questions covering major TMD signs and symptoms have been collaborated to simplify the evolution in epidemiologic studies and to standardize research samples. The anamnestic and clinical indexes proposed by Helkimo's (1974) were obtained from clinical observation. Based on Helkimo's (1974) indexes, Fonseca (1992) developed his anamnestic question that classifies TMD signs and symptoms as mild, moderate or severe or free TMD. The author obtained a reliability of 95% and a good correlation with Helkimo's index (P < 0.05). Other advantages of Fonseca (1992) questions are self administration, short-time of application and low cost [4]. This study evaluated, using the Fonseca (1992) questions the prevalence and severity of TMD in Indian medical and dental undergraduates. The characterisation of volunteers would help understanding its prevalence in the Indian university population. II. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample consisted of 310 medical & dental students (105 males and 205 females) from PIMS university, Ahmednagar, in western India. A list of all the students was obtained from the student section & the subjects were randomly selected. Written consent form was taken & subjects participated for this study voluntarily. Their age ranged from 18 to 25 years, with no history of systemic, musculoskeletal or neurological disorders. None of the students had any history of orthodontic treatment. The questionnaire proposed by Fonseca (1992) was used to classify TMD severity in the study population because it is highly efficient in obtaining epidemiological data. The Fonseca’s questionnaire follows the characteristics of a multidimensional evaluation. It is composed of 10 questions, which includes checking for the presence of pain in the temporomandibular joint, head & back, while chewing, parafunctional habits, movement limitations, joint clicking, perception of malocclusion & sensation of emotional stress. The subjects were informed that the 10 questions should be answered with “yes”, “no” & “sometimes” & that only one answer should be marked for each question. There was no time limit for completion. That way, there would be no reasons for the subjects to give induced answers. III. DATA ANALYSIS The Fonseca’s questionnaire contains an anamnestic index and the subjects were classified as having mild TMD, moderate T