Impact of pregnancy on temporomandibular joint dysfunction

Background
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) do not always come directly from the dysfunction of the joints themselves. Women are significantly more likely than men to report symptoms of TMJ area dysfunction and are also more likely to seek professional treatment. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of pregnancy on TMD.

Aim
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of pregnancy on TMD.

Material and methods
A total of 231 women at various stages of pregnancy participated in the study. They were asked to complete a questionnaire designed for this research. The questionnaire was posted on Facebook groups dedicated to pregnant women. The results of the study were processed by assuming a significance level of p<0.05.

Results
TMD was observed in the studied group of pregnant women. A large percentage of women reported harmful parafunctions with lip and cheek overbite being the most common at 55.8% and teeth clenching at 40.3%. A statistically significant relationship was observed between the trimester of pregnancy and the severity of TMJ area pain symptoms, which decreased with subsequent trimesters. The largest percentage of surveyed women reported an increase in symptoms during pregnancy. An association between the presence of cervical spine pain and the presence of masticatory dysfunction was also demonstrated.

Conclusions
There is a significant correlation between the trimester of pregnancy and the severity of TMJ area pain, which decreases in later trimesters (p=0.02). There was also a correlation between the coexistence of statistically significant TMD and the occurrence of cervical spine pain (p=0.01).