Changes in reported orofacial symptoms over a ten-year period as reflected in two cohorts of fifty-year-old subjects.
OBJECTIVE
The study presents changes in reported orofacial symptoms over the course of a 10-year period. It was hypothesized that there was an increase of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and orofacial pain symptoms during the period concurrent with social and demographic changes.


METHODS
All 50-year-old subjects living in two Swedish counties were asked to answer a mail questionnaire in 1992 and 2002. In the two cohorts, 6,343 and 5,798, respectively, responded (response rate 71.3% and 70.2%).


RESULTS
Striking differences in demographic, occupational, general, and oral health conditions were found. General health was reported to be less good, utilization of dental care decreased, whereas number of teeth increased. The prevalence of a number of intra-oral symptoms and orofacial symptoms increased significantly between 1992 and 2002. Reported bruxism increased from 18% in 1992 to 28% in 2002.


CONCLUSIONS
The observed increase in reported orofacial pain symptoms during the 10-year period, concurrent with changes in society, deserves further attention by society and the dental community.
Unell
Lennart
L
Department of Dentistry, Orebro County Council, Orebro, Sweden.
Johansson
Anders
A
Carlsson
Gunnar E
GE
Halling
Arne
A
Söderfeldt
Björn
B
D002012:Bruxism / Q000453:epidemiology; D003710:Demography; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*