Temporomandibular disorders in patients with female sex hormones disorders

Abstract

Introduction. Dysfunctions within the stomatognathic system have become a frequent occurrence in the past twenty years that must be addressed by dental practitioners and prosthodontists alike, but also but general medical practitioners. According to recent WHO reports, temporomandibular disorders (TMD) take the third place in the incidence of dental disorders preceded by dental caries and periodontitis. Aim of the study. To evaluate the health of the masticatory organ in women with female sex hormones disorders. Material and methods. The study involved 53 female patients in the childbearing age (aged 18-40 years – average 26.7 years) who were hospitalized for the diagnosis of menstrual disorders. Laboratory examinations were carried out in order to confirm or exclude endocrine disorders including female sex hormones. In the clinical trial, the first and the second axis of the Diagnostic Criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD) were used. Results. In the study group (53 women), functional disorders in the masticatory organ were reported in 48 patients (90.56%). The highest percentage of patients (70.83%) suffered from intra-articular. Myalgia and facial pain was present in 24 women (50%). In six cases (12.5%) degenerative changes were found in the temporomandibular joints. More than 50% of patients were hospitalized due to hypothalamic and pituitary disorders (50.94%). Myalgia and facial pain were reported in 24 out of 26 patients with dysmenorrhoea Group II acc. to WHO (88.89%). Conclusions. In the reproductive period TMDs are observed in most women with menstrual disorders. In cases when treatment of TMDs fails, the possibility of co-occurrence of female sex hormones disorders should be considered.