Prevalência de sinais e sintomas de disfunção temporomandibular em adultos com e sem alterações oclusais

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence study has been an important tool that helps several health professionals. In the area of orofacial motricity, the speech-language therapist seeks to evaluate the stomatognathic system (SS), to understand its functional dynamics and to verify what may be etiology for SS disorders, including temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). Although it is expected that individuals without occlusal alterations do not show signs and symptoms of TMD, because its structure and physiology do not contribute to this type of condition, there has been a higher incidence than expected in theseindividuals, making the study of its prevalence relevant. Objective: To correlate the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint dysfunction in adults with and without occlusal alterations. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted at the Speech Language Pathology Clinic at the Federal University of Paraíba.This was a cross sectional, observational and correlational study, using the e-Myo software as a collection instrument and based on the Junqueira protocol (2005). The study sample consisted of 60 adults from 18 to 59 years old, regardless of gender, with and without occlusal alterations, who regardless of the orofacial motricity complaint, voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. The project was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Health Sciences Center of the Federal University of Paraíba, under n. 2,140,408. Results: The study sample consisted of 60 adults, being 30 individuals for each group (adults with and adults without occlusal alterations), 17 women and 13 men were distributed in each group. The average age in the group of adults with occlusal alterations was 23.83 years and in the group of adults without occlusal alterations was 23.63 years. As seen, very young adults, and mostly college students. 86.66% of the adults without occlusal alterations showed signals of cracking in the temporomandibular joint, while 46.66% reported pain, and 40% reported both cracking and pain. In the group with occlusal alterations, 46.66% presented cracking, 53.33% presented pain, and 23.33% of them presented concomitant sign and symptom. The sample of adults without occlusal alterations presented the highest percentage of chewing changes (76.6%). In adults with occlusal alteration, chewing alterations correspond to 56.6%. Conclusion: Both groups had a high prevalence of temporomandibular joint dysfunction signs and symptoms, and the group of adults without occlusal alterations presented a higher prevalence of TMD signs and symptoms, as well as masticatory dysfunction. The signs and symptoms are more associated with chewing changes than with dental occlusion.