PREVALENCE IN THE DUTCH ADULT-POPULATION AND A METAANALYSIS OF SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDER

A nationwide survey of oral conditions, treatment needs, and attitudes toward dental health care in Dutch adults was carried out in 1986. On e of the aims of the study was to assess the prevalence of signs and s ymptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD). A sample of 6577 persons (from 15 to 74 yr of age), stratified for gender, age, region, and soc io-economic status, was contacted. Of this sample, 4496 persons partic ipated in the behavioral part of the study, of whom 3526 were examined clinically. The TMD prevalence was based on (1) perceived signs and s ymptoms of TMD and (2) clinical examination of joint sounds, deviation , and pain on mandibular movements. A total of 21.5% of the Dutch adul t population perceived some dysfunction, and 44.4% showed clinically a ssessed signs and symptoms of TMD. In nearly all age groups, the signs and symptoms of TMD appeared more in women than in men. Agreement bet ween the results of the clinical examination and the anamnestic dysfun ction index was significant (p < 0.0001); however, the Pearson's corre lation coefficient was low (r = 0.29). The odds-value (risk-ratio) tha t subjects who perceived signs and symptoms of TMD would present with clinically assessed signs and symptoms of TMD was 2.3. The results of the survey were compared with results of a meta-analysis performed on 51 TMD prevalence studies. The analysis revealed (1) a perceived dysfu nction rate of 30% and (2) a clinically assessed dysfunction of 44%, b oth based on compound samples of respectively, over 15,000 (23 studies ) and over 16,000 (22 studies) randomly selected subjects.