Prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorders and its association with stress among dental students in Davangere city – A cross-sectional survey

Objectives: Dental students are exposed to some complex experiences that predominantly lead to stressful situations and expose them to temporomandibular disorders (TMDs).Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of TMD and how it relates to stress among dental students.Study Setting and Design: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 283 undergraduate dental students, who consented to participate across all academic levels. Material and Methods: TMD was evaluated using the Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs Axis-I and Axis-II methodology. In Axis-I, screening and clinical examinations of TMD, and in Axis-II, stress as one of the psychosocial risk factors of TMD is evaluated using the modified dental environment stress scale (DESS). Results: The overall prevalence of TMD was 61.2 %. Headache followed by clicking, pain on clicking, difficulty in mouth opening, and jaw locks were the most commonly reported symptoms. On clinical examination, clicking was the most common TMD sign, followed by temporomandibular joint pain. Among the various TMDs, the most prevalent TMD was disc displacement followed by myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome. Females were slightly more affected by TMDs than males. TMDs were more common among the final year dental students followed by interns (house surgeons). Further, participants with TMD symptoms and signs had significantly higher mean DESS scores than others. Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that dental students, particularly those enrolled in clinical programs, have a higher chance of acquiring TMDs, which has been strongly linked to elevated levels of stress.