Search

Copyright of Swedish Dental Journal is the property of Swedish Dental Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The relationship between signs and symptoms of mandibular dysfunction was studied in 285 17-yr-old adolescents living in the municipality of Skellefteå, Sweden. Of the sample 62% had either some sign or symptom of dysfunction, and there was a positive correlation (p<0.05) between the two indices used. Neither morphologic nor functional malocclusions were related to the anamnestic dysfunction index. Signs of mandibular dysfunction were significantly more frequently found in those with a feeling of fatigue in the jaw (P<0.001). TMJ sounds were related to palpation tenderness in the lateral pterygoid muscle and to impaired horizontal mobility of the mandible. The most frequent symptom related to various signs of mandibular dysfunction was feeling of fatigue in the jaws which suggests that this is an early symptom of muscular origin that should be observed more closely. The study supports the view that even a moderate reduction of mouth opening capacity may indicate mandibular dysfunction and we recommend that this variable be routinely recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psychosocial screening is a valuable part of the assessment of patients with orofacial pain, as psychosocial factors will affect prognosis and treatment outcomes. Paper-based questionnaires are predominately used to assess the degree of psychosocial comorbidity; however, digital alternatives for screening questionnaires may be more cost-effective and resource-saving if patients are receptive to using them., Objective: To evaluate how patients perceive digital psychosocial screening in dentistry., Method: Using a qualitative approach, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of adult patients with orofacial pain (n = 16) recruited from specialist dental clinics in Umeå and Gävle, Sweden. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and then analysed using Qualitative Content Analysis. Before the interviews, patients first completed the paper-based questionnaires and then the digital version., Results: The analysis of patients' experiences resulted in an overarching theme: Patients appreciate a holistic approach, thus valuing psychosocial screening, and they particularly favour screening in a digital format. From this theme, two categories emerged: Perceptions about health shape patients' expectations of dental care, and with deeper understanding of the value of psychosocial assessment, patients appreciate a holistic approach that includes psychosocial factors. Digital screening is perceived by patients as a reliable, meaningful and environmentally sustainable method., Conclusions: In general, the patients appreciated a holistic approach in dentistry and understood the value of psychosocial screening as part of this. From the patients' perspective, digital psychosocial screening was both acceptable and beneficial. The findings support the introduction of digital psychosocial screening into daily dental practice., (© 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: Many adolescents, especially girls, report temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms that may impact their daily life., Methods: At 19 different schools participating in the preventive program with dental nurses of FRAMM (Fluoride, Advise, Arena, Motivation, Food), at the Västra Götaland Region in Sweden, 15-year-old girls were invited to a cohort study about symptoms of TMD that also included headaches. Three hundred twenty-nine girls attended the study and answered a questionnaire regarding TMD symptoms and their consequences such as sick leave from school and consumption of analgesics. The girls were asked about the symptom's influence on their daily life, about their general health, use of regular medication, physical activity, and they answered the PHQ4 regarding experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression., Results: There was a significant correlation between TMD symptoms and sick leave with 31% of the girls having stayed home due to symptoms. Of the girls who answered affirmative in the screening questions (3QTMD), nearly half the group had stayed at home due to their symptoms, 24% had consulted a physician, 42% had used analgesics weekly and 59% reported that they felt the symptoms negatively affected their school performance. The girls who had regular medication had more TMD symptoms. Anxiety and depression were associated with TMD symptoms., Conclusion: The study showed that TMD symptoms had a negative impact on the 15-year-old girls' daily life resulting in sick leave from school, consumption of analgesics, and experiences of negative impacts on their behavior and performance at school.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between different sites of elicited pain to muscle palpation (PtP), and reported frequent pain in jaw-face and head., Materials and Methods: The analysis was based on an epidemiological sample of 1200 randomly selected individuals, of which 779 (65%) both completed a questionnaire and participated in a clinical examination. The questionnaire addressed the presence of pain in the jaw-face region and headache, respectively. Part of the clinical examination entailed palpation of the jaw, neck, shoulder, arm, thumb and calf muscles. Logistic regression was applied with pain and headache as dependent variables. A p -value < .05 determined statistical significance., Results: Five percent of participants reported frequent pain in jaw-face, and 17% reported frequent headaches. In the regression analysis, frequent headaches were significantly associated with jaw muscle PtP (OR 2.1, CI 1.4-3.4), regional PtP (OR 4.5, CI 2.6-7.6), and generalized PtP (OR 6.1, CI 2.2-17.0). Jaw-face pain was significantly associated with regional PtP (OR 5.3, CI 2.2-13.0) and generalized PtP (OR 30.1, CI 9.3-97.0). The relationship between pain prevalence and PtP showed a dose-response pattern., Conclusions: The study indicates that frequent jaw-face pain and headache are primarily associated with signs of regional and widespread hyperalgesia, which may be linked to the central sensitization mechanism. Signs of widespread hyperalgesia should be accounted for in the diagnostic algorithms when examining patients with pain in the jaw, face, and head regions.

The best treatment strategy for disturbing temporomandibular clicking sounds is not known. The aim was to evaluate the effect of exercise and bite splint therapy, respectively, in patients with symptomatic disc displacement with reduction. The study was a randomised clinical trial of subjects with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) clicking sounds with a reported severity/intensity of ≥4 on a numerical rating scale (0-10) and signs fulfilling the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC/TMD) for disc displacement with reduction. Thirty subjects each were randomised to bite splint, home exercise, or supervised exercise programme at the clinic. Two examiners (authors), blinded to the treatment modality, examined the same subject at baseline and at a 3-month follow-up. Non-parametric statistical methods were applied for analyses. A P-value <.05 was considered statistically significant. The dropout rate was highest in the home exercise group. About 50% of the participants reported improvement of their TMJ sounds with no significant difference between treatments. In the supervised exercise and the bite splint groups, approximately 2/3 of the patients reported 30% or more improvement of their TMJ sounds and half reported 50% improvement or more. The supervised exercise group also showed reductions in TMD pain, neck disability, mood disturbances and somatisation. Jaw exercise programmes and bite splint treatments had positive effects on TMJ clicking. The supervised exercise programme had an additional effect on the subject's well-being and thus may help to encourage patient's empowerment and coping strategies., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The objectives of the study were to analyse changes in tooth mortality among adults in Västerbotten County, Sweden, between 1990 and 2002 and determine whether socioeconomic factors, general health, smoking, and dental care habits influenced tooth mortality. The study was based on samples drawn from the adult population in Västerbotten County in 1990 and 2002. The studied age groups were 35-, 50-, and 65-year-olds. In 2002 75-year-olds were included. The surveys comprised a clinical examination and a questionnaire.The latter focused on oro-facial symptoms, socioeconomic factors, general health, smoking, and dental care habits. Complete data were obtained from 715 individuals in 1990 and from 768 individuals in 2002.Variables used to depict tooth mortality were edentulousness, occlusal supporting zones (Eichner index), and number of teeth. The prevalence of edentulousness in Västerbotten County decreased from 12.7% in 1990 to 3.7% in 2002 (P < 0.001). The mean number of teeth increased in all age groups between 1990 and 2002, and so did the number of individuals with tooth contact in all occlusal supporting zones and no gaps between teeth. Low educational level, weak economic status, smoking, and irregular visits to the dental clinic were all significantly related to increased tooth mortality. Between 1990 and 2002 tooth mortality decreased significantly in the adult population of Västerbotten County, Sweden. Cross-sectional analysis identified socioeconomic factors, smoking, and irregular use of dental care services as being related to tooth mortality in both 1990 and 2002.