Title: Prophylactic intervention for temporomandibular pain and dysfunction: A methodological study
Abstract:
The prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) symptoms has been found 7-25 % in adolescents, and especially girls suffer frequently from TMD symptoms and headache associated with TMD, resulting in increased school absence and analgesics consumption, and an impaired quality of life. Clinical symptoms are few in children, but increases after puberty, and is higher in girls than boys.
The knowledge about risk factors and risk behavior for developing TMD symptoms has increased during the last decade and will be presented. The effect of preventive information regarding TMD symptoms is not known and ought to be studied, and, eventually, promoting prophylactic measures.
A study with the aim of developing and testing a program for prophylactic health information regarding TMD symptoms was performed and will be presented. Girls at two high schools, 16 years of age, with and without symptoms, were invited to a health information and relaxation training, in groups of 8-10 girls at two occasions, and 60 girls participated. Structured information about risk behavior and risk factors for TMD symptoms was given, and general relaxation was trained. A follow-up three month after the intervention revealed that the frequency of reported headache once a week or more declined, from 49% to 35% (p=.002), as did the use of chewing gum (p=.002). The conclusion was that prophylactic information to adolescent girls may influence the oral habits and the frequency of TMD symptoms. Further studies will show if it is possible also to decrease the incidence of TMD symptoms among adolescents.
