Prevalence, knowledge and awareness level of temporomandibular joint disorder among Saudi population

Abstract

Background: Temporomandibular joint Disorder (TMD) are a type of musculoskeletal disease that affects masticatory muscles, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and other structures in the oro-facial area. Functional disturbance, facial deformities, headache and TMJ pain are all common symptoms. TMD influences the oral health related quality of life (OHRQL). Therefore, early detection aid in successful intervention and treatments. This observational study aimed to investigate TMD' prevalence among the general Saudi population and their knowledge and awareness levels. Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted through an online self-evaluated questionnaire to assess the knowledge and awareness level of the Saudi population in the 13 central regions between July 2022 - Nov 2022 toward TMD. All statistical analysis was done using the "Microsoft Office Excel software" program and "IBM SPSS Statistics" version 20 program. Results: The study included 1580 participants, 72.26% of them were men and 27.4% of them were females. 97.8% of study participants were Saudi. 45.5% aged between 21-30 years old. 31.5% of participants do not have TMD, 41.5% have mild TMD, 19.3% had moderate TMD and 7.8% have severe TMD. Conclusion: Temporomandibular joint Disorder is a complicated process with varying prevalence rates in different populations. According to our investigation, the adult population of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a comparably high prevalence of TMD. Public health programs should prioritize increasing patient and medical staff understanding of TMD.