Relationship between anxiety and chronic orofacial pain of temporomandibular disorder in a group of university students.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the relationship between anxiety levels and severity degrees of chronic orofacial pain of temporomandibular disorder in brazilian university students.


METHODS
150 volunteers (117 men and 33 women), with age ranging from 17 to 30 years, were subjects to this study. Spielberger's trait-state anxiety inventory was used to evaluate trait and state anxiety of the students, while examination for chronic orofacial pain was performed in accordance with the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). Association between anxiety levels and severity degrees of chronic orofacial pain was tested using the Chi-square test. The significance level was set at p<.05.


RESULTS
The results showed that 32.7% (n=49) of the subjects exhibited TMD, and the intensity of chronic orofacial pain was classified as degree 1 in 85.7% (n=42) and as degree 2 in 14.3% (n=7) of them. Based on the results of the Spielberger's trait-state anxiety inventory, the majority of the students had moderate anxiety (48.6% and 48.1%, respectively). The correlation between trait-anxiety levels and chronic orofacial pain degrees was significant and positive (p<.05). However, no significant correlation was found to state-anxiety levels and chronic orofacial pain degrees (p>.05).


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded that chronic orofacial pain of TMD could be present in university students and anxiety may be related.
Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, Araçatuba Dental School, São Paulo State University, SP, Brazil. douglasrmonteiro@hotmail.com
Douglas Roberto
DR
Monteiro
Paulo Renato Junqueira
PR
Zuim
Aldiéris Alves
AA
Pesqueira
Paula do Prado
Pdo P
Ribeiro
Alício Rosalino
AR
Garcia
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001938:Brazil; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013334:Students; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*