Aural symptoms and signs of temporomandibular disorder in association with treatment need and visits to a physician.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze associations between aural symptoms and clinical signs of and treatment need for temporomandibular disorders, as well as visits to a physician, in a Finnish population.


METHODS
A longitudinal study of a random sample of adults.


METHODS
Four hundred eleven subjects (203 men and 208 women aged 25, 35, 45, 55, or 65 years at baseline) were examined and interviewed at three consecutive examinations at 12-month intervals, and a questionnaire on visits to physician during the preceding 12 months was completed.


RESULTS
The aural symptoms were common. The prevalence of otalgia without infection varied between 12% and 16%, while the prevalence of tinnitus and fullness of ears was 12% to 17% and 5% to 9%, respectively. Women had more aural symptoms than men. When compared with the other subjects, the subjects with aural symptoms more often had masticatory muscles that were tender to palpation or temporomandibular joint signs. Subjects with obvious treatment need for temporomandibular disorders had more aural symptoms than subjects in the other treatment need subgroups. They also visited a physician more often because of otalgia than the subjects with otalgia in the other treatment need subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with otalgia, infectious otolaryngologic diseases should be ruled out. Then the patients without infection should be remitted to a dentist with stomatognathic experience. In the absence of temporomandibular disorders, further medical consultations (e.g., otorhinolaryngological, neurological, physiatric, and psychiatric) are indicated.
Kuttila
S
S
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Otonhammas, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Kuttila
M
M
Le Bell
Y
Y
Alanen
P
P
Jouko
S
S
D000328:Adult; D004433:Earache / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013706:Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000150:complications*