title: Temporomandibular joint findings in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and primary Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study consisted of 79 individuals with various rheumatic disease (study group: 39 with RA, 17 with AS, 23 with pSS) and 79 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (control group). Subjective symptoms of the TMJ were recorded by means of a questionnaire. And stomatognathic examination was then performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of subjective symptoms in patients with rheumatic disease (73.4%) were significantly higher than that of the controls (22.8%; P<.05). The most common objective symptoms were pain during lateral TMJ palpation (29.1% of patients overall, 8.9% of controls) and mandibular movements (19% of patients overall, 2.5% of controls), and muscle pain during palpation (38% of patients overall, 3.8% of controls). They were significantly higher in all of the rheumatic patients than the controls (P<.05). There was not a statistically-significant difference in the values for mandibular movements between the study and control groups (P>.05, Mann-Whitney U test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TMJ symptoms were observed to be higher in the patients with RA, AS and pSS than the control group. Dentists and rheumatologists should be aware of TMJ symptoms in patients with rheumatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Çanakkale Dentistry Hospital, Çanakkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Elif
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yıldızer Keriş
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sis Darendeliler
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Samsun Research Hospital, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Derya
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Demirağ
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Şeminur
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Haznedaroğlu
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications*; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: ankylosing spondylitis; primary Sjögren's syndrome; rheumatoid arthritis; temporomandibular disorder; temporomandibular joint