Evaluation of temporomandibular disorder and oral parafunction
prevalence in dental assistant students: A cross-sectional descriptive
study
Abstract
Objective: This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to determine the
prevalence of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and oral parafunctions in
dental assistant students and examine the effects of sex and years of
education. Materials and Methods: One-hundred five dental assistant
students were included in the study. The Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI)
was used to evaluate the presence of TMD in individuals, and the Oral
Habit Checklist (OBC) was used to evaluate oral parafunctions. Results:
Sixty-eight individuals (64.8%) had TMD at some level. It was
determined that 46 of the females, who constituted the majority of the
participants, had mild-TMD, which was significantly different from the
males (p<0.001). According to the OBC results, oral
parafunctions were associated with TMD, with low-moderate significant
correlations (p <0.05). Conclusion: Early diagnosis of
temporomandibular joint problems with various questionaries in the
university, especially in the young population, is vital in terms of
disease prognosis and will prevent future complications.