Decision-making in dentistry related to temporomandibular disorders: a 5-yr follow-up study.
2018 (English)In: European Journal of Oral Sciences, ISSN 0909-8836, E-ISSN 1600-0722, Vol. 126, no 6, p. 493-499Article in journal (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are common, but many patients with such disorders go undetected and under-treated. Our aim was to evaluate the outcome of using a screening tool (5 yr after it was first implemented), on the clinical decision-making for patients with TMDs. Adults who attended for a dental check-up at the Public Dental Health Services in Vasterbotten, Sweden, answered three screening questions (3Q/TMD) on frequent jaw pain, pain on jaw function, and catching/locking of the jaw. The dental records of a random sample of 200 individuals with at least one positive response to 3Q/TMD (3Q screen-positive patients) and 200 individuals with all negative responses (3Q screen-negative patients) were reviewed for TMD-related treatment decisions. A clinical decision related to TMD was absent in 45.5% of 3Q screen-positive patients. Treatment of TMDs was associated with a positive response to the screening question on jaw pain (OR = 6.7, 95% CI: 3.2-14.0) and was more frequent among 3Q screen-positive patients (24%) than among 3Q screen-negative patients (2%; OR = 15.5, 95% CI: 5.5-43.9), just as a female examiner was associated with more frequent treatment of TMDs (OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.2-8.4). The results indicate under-treatment of TMD within general dental practice and that male clinicians are less likely to initiate TMD treatment.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
John Wiley & Sons, 2018. Vol. 126, no 6, p. 493-499
Keywords [en]
clinical decision-making, facial pain, prospective study, temporomandibular joint disorders, therapy
National Category
Dentistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-6467DOI: 10.1111/eos.12572ISI: 000449881600007PubMedID: 30298596Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85054595325Local ID: 26679OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-6467DiVA, id: diva2:1403410
2020-02-282020-02-282024-06-17Bibliographically approved