Temporomandibular Disorder According to the Level of Anxiety in AdolescentsABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD), according to the level of anxiety in adolescents in the city of São Roque-SP. The Fonseca Index was used to determine the presence and severity of TMD. To assess the level of anxiety the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory it was used. The participants were 3,538 adolescents with ages varying between 10 and 19 years. The results revealed that 73.3% of the adolescents had TMD, and that a "slight" degree of TMD was the most prevalent category. Anxiety was present in 72.7% of the adolescents. The analysis showed the existence of a significant association among female students between the presence of TMD and anxiety. A significant positive correlation was observed between the degree of TMD and the level of anxiety. The results indicate that female adolescents have a higher chance of developing TMD than male adolescents, and that the chance of developing TMD augments with the level of anxiety.
Keywords: adolescents; anxiety; temporomandibular disorder