Abstract

Introduction : The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is considered the most complex joint in the human body.Pain in the chewing muscles and/or jaw joint (most common symptom)Pain that spreads to the face or neck.,Jaw stiffness,Limited movement or locking of the jaw.Painful clicking, popping, or grating in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth. Ringing in the ears, hearing loss, or dizziness.A change in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together. Earache or otalgia is quite common among both children and adults. It can vary from mild pain to an excruciating severe, dull, aching, or lancinating pain. Otalgia may be associated with sensations such as a sense of fullness in the ear, burning, throbbing, tenderness or itching.

Materials and methods : The study was an online survey conducted among patients who visited Saveetha dental college.. The study was based on temporomandibular disorders occurring among the patients visiting the institution. The study was approved by the Institutional Review board. A self-structured standard online questionnaire was prepared on the basis of TMD, its prevalence,  risk factors, its severity of pain, etc among the young and middle aged patients. The questionnaire was uploaded in the online survey portal and the responses were collected. A total of 100 responses were obtained and the data was evaluated statistically. Using SPSS, IBM version 23.0 the data were analysed. The statistical method used is descriptive statistics represented in frequency distribution. For correlation analysis Chi square test was done. The type of analysis used was the Chi Square test. The dependent variable used for this study was age, occupation, gender. The independent variables considered were location, food habits, ethnicity. The obtained results were analysed and represented graphically using and bar charts.

Results and discussion:

According to certain research, women made up the majority of patients by a factor of five times more than men. This result is consistent with the literature, which names hormonal and sociocultural factors as possible causes of this phenomena. However,our investigation found that slightly more male patients had temporomandibular problems than female ones. Males made up 15% of the sample, while females made up 14%. 77% do not experience any headache or pain in the neck and ear region.the rest 23% experience some form of headache or neck pain. The data found showed a moderate prevalence of TMD and the importance of its prevention in order to improve the health and well-being of the population is required.