Clinical Manifestations of Temporomandibular Disorders and Their Relationship with Sleep Disturbances and Emotional Disorders in a Spanish Pediatric Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

The etiology of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) has been linked to various factors, including functional and psychological factors, which makes it difficult to identify associations between a single etiological factor and the signs and symptoms of TMDs. Objectives: This study aimed to describe th...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Tapia-Sierra, Fanny Esther, Ticona-Flores, Jesús Miguel, Elvira-Tapia, Naomi, Gallardo López, Nuria Esther, Reichard-Monefeldt, Guillermo, Diéguez Pérez, Montserrat
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/123732
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/123732
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:616.314-053.2:[616.314.2:[616.8-009.836+616.89-008.44]](460)
Pediatric dentistry
Temporomandibular disorders
Adjustment sleep disorders
Emotional aspects
Odontología infantil
Oclusión dental
Estrés y relajación
Psicología (Psicología)
3299 Otras Especialidades Médicas
3213.13 Ortodoncia-Estomatología
6102 Psicología del Niño y del Adolescente
Descripción
Sumario:The etiology of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) has been linked to various factors, including functional and psychological factors, which makes it difficult to identify associations between a single etiological factor and the signs and symptoms of TMDs. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the presence of TMD symptoms and their relationship with sleep disturbances and emotional disorders in children and adolescents. Methods: This observational study included Spanish children aged between 8 and 13 years. The measurement instruments consisted of the BRUNI survey for sleep disorders and the Educational-Clinical Questionnaire: Anxiety and Depression (CECAD) survey. A clinical examination was subsequently performed following the DC/TMD guidelines for diagnosing TMDs. Frequencies, means, and standard deviations were applied, along with the prevalence ratio as a measure of association and the chi-square test. The significance level was set at 5%. Results: A total of 128 participants participated in the study with a mean age of 10.89 (±2.15) years. The prevalence of TMDs was 54%, while the most common symptoms were muscle pain at 26%, joint pain at 14%, and a combination of both at 14%. Children who presented muscle pain had a mean anxiety score of 44.87 (±11.85), whereas those without symptoms had a mean score of 36 (±10.78, and 0.03 p-value). The BRUNI index revealed that 78.13% of patients with TMDs had difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, with a prevalence ratio (PR) of 3.57 (p-value 0.041). Conclusions: The present study reveals that temporomandibular disorders are common in children and adolescents, with 54% presenting at least one clinical sign or symptom. Emotional disturbances and sleep problems were also prevalent, affecting 41% and 56% of participants, respectively. Early interdisciplinary screening is essential to manage the co-occurrence of TMDs, emotional distress, and sleep problems in children.