Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders in Caucasian children and adolescents

This study investigated the prevalence of the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in a population of children and adolescents. TMD signs and symptoms were recorded in 1134 subjects (593 males and 541 females; age range 5-15 years), divided into various groups according to the: (i) Angle dental class; (ii) presence and type of crossbite; (iii) gender; and (iv) age (ages 5-11 and 12-15 years). The percentages of signs and symptoms were compared using the chi2-test to determine the differences among the groups for the rates of TMD symptoms, bruxism, joint sounds, deviation during opening, reduced opening/lateral/protrusive movements, and myofascial pain. Subjects who were 12-15 years old showed a significantly higher prevalence of myofascial pain than those who were 5-11 years old (chi2 = 4.263; p < 0.05). Females showed a significantly higher prevalence of myofascial pain than males (chi2 = 3.882; p < 0.05). Subjects with posterior, unilateral crossbite showed a significantly higher prevalence of TMD symptoms (chi2 = 33.877; p < 0.001) and reduction of functional movements (chi2 = 10.800; p < 0.05) than those with no crossbite, or with anterior or posterior bilateral crossbite. TMD's signs and symptoms seem to be associated to some definite characteristics of the patient, such as female gender, young age, and presence of posterior unilateral crossbite.