Orofacial pain and tooth wear in swedish adults : cross-sectional studies in southern Sweden

Sammanfattning: Aim. The present licentiate thesis investigated the prevalence of TMDpainand related factors, the prevalence and severity of tooth wear, andthe etiology and factors related to tooth wear in adults in southern Sweden.Methods. The methods used included a questionnaire, history, clinical examination,intraoral photographs, and saliva sample. In Paper I, twoscreening questions for TMD pain were used to query a study samplecomprising 6123 questionnaire participants about their pain experience.In Paper II, a clinical examination and intraoral photographs helped determinethe presence and severity of tooth wear. Information from a questionnaire,patient histories, and participant saliva samples were analyzedregarding tooth wear-related factors. The study sample comprised 831 individuals.Results. Paper I found a prevalence of TMD pain once a week or moreoften in 11% of the study sample. Related factors were female gender,subjects under 50 years of age, weekly headache, self-reports of poor generalhealth, impaired oral health-related quality of life, and tooth wear.Paper II showed tooth wear in all individuals. Attrition, the most commontooth wear, was found in over 90% of the study sample. Signs of erosionwere found in almost 80% of the individuals. Men had more tooth wearthan women, but none of the factors that were investigated as related factorsdiffered between the genders. Only some of the individuals, includingthe group with severe tooth wear reported having received information about tooth wear from their clinician. Participants reported receiving informationabout tooth wear due to extensive tooth brushing more thanabout erosion.Conclusions. Paper I found a prevalence of TMD pain in 11% of the studysample. In Paper II, attrition was found in over 90% of the study sample.Almost 80% of the individuals exhibited signs of erosion. Only a few reportedhaving received information about tooth wear due to erosion fromtheir clinician.