HIGHLIGHTS
Homeless report fewer symptoms of TMD.
Pain in the temples was the most reported symptom.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Homeless people live a reality of social vulnerability, poverty and exclusion and are considerably more affected by long-term pain (chronic pain) than the general population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) in homeless people who attended a reception center for this population (POP Center) in the city of Juazeiro do Norte-CE.
METHODS:
This is an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive-exploratory study, whit a quantitative approach and a convenience sample. For this, the TMD-Pain Screener was applied to measure TMD frequency in 100 individuals who were divided into two groups, group 1 (G1, n=50) composed of residents who were assisted by the center and group 2 (G2, n=50) individuals who worked in the center. The TMD Pain Screener instrument was used and the data were paired according to gender and age group. The Qui-square test was applied to verify associations between the variables, considering a level of significance of 5% (p≤0.05).
RESULTS:
It was observed that homeless people had fewer TMD symptoms than the control group and this difference was statistically significant (p=0,045). The symptom of pain in the lateral region of the head was the most commonly found, being reported by 20% of the homeless population and by 48% of the control group 48% (p=0.03).
CONCLUSION:
The homeless population presented TMD symptoms, which should be taken into account by the health authorities, however, in a smaller proportion than the control group, requiring further studies to identify these differences.
Keywords:
Facial pain; Homeless persons; Temporomandibular joint disorders