Keywords
Temporomandibular joint disorders, Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Mental well-being, Magnetic resonance imaging
This article is included in the Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research collection.
Temporomandibular joint disorders, Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Mental well-being, Magnetic resonance imaging
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are a group of conditions that affect the jaw and the muscles that control its movement.1 These disorders can cause pain, discomfort, and limited jaw movement and can impact a person’s mental well-being.2
Evidence suggests that TMJ disorders can cause or contribute to altered mental well-being.3 TMJ disorders can greatly affect an individual’s quality of life, causing chronic pain and discomfort. This often leads to anxiety, depression, and poor sleep quality, worsening the disorder’s symptoms.4 Furthermore, the limitations of TMJ disorders can cause social isolation, reduced self-esteem, and decreased functional abilities.5 The general population is affected by temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) at varying rates, according to epidemiological studies ranging from 45% to 75% incidence.6 Given the high incidence, it is likely that a sizable fraction of the population is affected with TMD.
According to Ruf and Pancherz’s 1999 paper, those with Class II malocclusion and a vertical growth pattern are more likely to have temporomandibular joint disease (TMD).7
The gold standard and most accurate diagnostic tool for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) abnormalities is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The TMJ and its encircling components, including the articular disc, muscles, and ligaments, can be seen on an MRI scan. With the help of this imaging method, the joint space, disc location, and bone morphology may all be assessed non-invasively.8 Moreover, MRI can detect additional problems like tumours, infections, and fractures that may resemble TMJ disorders. MRI offers higher soft tissue contrast than other imaging methods like computed tomography (CT) and plain radiography and does not subject the patient to ionising radiation. It has been demonstrated that using MRI for TMJ evaluation improves patient outcomes, treatment planning, and diagnosis accuracy.9
The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) is an essential tool for determining mental well-being.10 It is a validated questionnaire that assesses positive facets of mental health, such as joy, self-esteem, and good interpersonal interactions. Higher scores indicate more well-being on the scale, which consists of 14 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The WEMWBS has been used in research and clinical settings. It has produced useful data on mental well-being and its relationships to different health outcomes, which can be used to assess it in TMD situations.7 A popular measure for measuring anxiety in people is the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A).11 The HAM-application A’ s in TMD studies has highlighted the connection between anxiety and TMD. According to one study, those with TMD had considerably higher HAM-A scores than healthy controls, which may indicate that these people had higher anxiety levels.12
Hence this study is planned to assess the correlation of these clinical radiologic and psychological parameters to further aid in the effective and timely management of TMDs.
1. To evaluate TMD’s clinical and radiological (MRI-based) symptoms in Class II (Vertical) Temporomandibular joint disorder cases and Class I Non-TMD cases.
2. To evaluate the mental well-being of these cases using curated scales and questionnaires.
3. Compare these symptoms and mental well-being status in Class II (Vertical) cases with those without Temporomandibular joint disorder.
An observational and analytical study will be conducted at Sharad Pawar Dental College, Sawangi, in collaboration with the Department of Radiology, Acharya Vinobha Bhave Rural Hospital (AVBRH). See Extended data23 for the STROBE (Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology) checklist items relevant to this protocol.
A total of 30 adult cases Class II (vertical growth pattern) will be chosen from the Sharad Pawar Dental College’s outpatient department (OPD) of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics in Sawangi, Wardha. The number of samples was selected based on the prevalence of TMD in Class II (Vertical) cases, using the formula n = N*X/ (X + N – 1), where, X = Zα/22 p(1-p) /MOE2, and Zα/2 is the critical value of the normal distribution at α/2 (e.g., for a confidence level of 95%, α is 0.05 and the critical value is 1.96).
Ethical approval has been granted on 31/03/2023 by Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Sawangi, Wardha, with reference number DMIHER (DU)/2023/18. Informed and written consent will be obtained from all the cases included in the study for their participation. A separate consent form will be issued to obtain participant consent for publication of the research results and data.
Adults more than 18 years of age with Class I (normal skeletal growth pattern of the maxillo-mandibular complex) or Class II (vertical) malocclusion with permanent dentition would be included in this study. Class I or Class II (vertical) malocclusion would be decided based on the cephalometric criteria listed in Table 1.
The methodology of this study involves several steps. Firstly, patients will be diagnosed according to the DC/TMD criteria for clinical signs and symptoms. Secondly, grading of skeletal Class II (vertical growth pattern) cases based on the severity of TMD will be done using the Helkimo index. Bilateral sagittal, as well as coronal MRI images, will then be obtained.
In addition to the above, all cases will be evaluated for mental well-being and anxiety levels using the Warwick-Edinburgh and Hamilton scales, respectively. The evaluation of Articular Disc morphology in the sagittal and coronal plane using MRI will also be conducted.
Furthermore, the study will focus on the correlation of articular disc morphology with clinical symptoms, anxiety, and mental well-being in both groups. Finally, a comparison of articular disc morphology, clinical symptoms, anxiety, and mental well-being will be made among both groups. By following this methodology, the study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between articular disc morphology and various clinical symptoms in patients with TMD.
Bias will be minimised by random selection of patients based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.
The calculation of sample size was done as follows:
Each group would consist of 15 individuals, with the frequency of severe cases being 0.95 per cent. There will be 15 patients in 2 groups, hence, the total sample size will be 30. The sample will be divided into three groups based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria: Group A will be a control group, with 15 Class I (Non-TMD) cases. Group B will comprise 15 skeletal Class II (vertical growth pattern) cases with TMD.
All the demographic outcome data will be presented using descriptive statistics for categorical variables in terms of frequency & percentage for continuous variables in terms of mean, standard deviation and median.
Results will be analysed on SPSS version 27 for statistical analysis. The outcome variable will be tested for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for continuous data.
Articular disc variations are categorised according to the range that will be distributed for analysing the data into the normal range and not in the normal range. The chi-square test will be used to find the result of an association of clinical, radiological and psychological symptoms in Class I (Non-TMD cases) and skeletal Class II (Vertical growth pattern) TMD cases.
An Independent t-test will be used to find the result on three groups for the outcome variable if data comes under the normal distribution. A non-parametric test will find a significant difference if data does not fit the normal distribution.
Stress and anxiety are prevalent in today’s population due to various factors, including work-related stress, financial stress, social media and technology, family and relationship issues, health concerns, political and social unrest, and trauma and past experiences.1 It is important to seek help if these feelings overwhelm or interfere with daily life.
Several studies13–15 have found a correlation between mental well-being and temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Individuals with TMD are more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues than those without TMD.16 Additionally, stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health-related symptoms may deteriorate the existing morbidity due to TMD.17 Similarly, management of TMD has been shown to reduce the mental health-related symptoms and improve mental well-being.18 Thus, healthcare professionals must focus on improving psychological status while diagnosing and treating TMD patients, for a better outcome. When Simoen L et al. (2020) examined the prevalence of depression and anxiety in TMD patients, they found that these individuals had much higher anxiety levels than controls of anxiety than controls did.19 Chisnoiu et al. (2015) carried out a systematic review to investigate the association between psychological factors and TMD in a related study. 24 publications, according to the authors, met the requirements for inclusion. The review shows, there is a direct link between TMD and such psychological characteristics as anxiety, depression, stress, and somatization. The authors came to the conclusion that psychological evaluation and intervention should be a part of patient management in order to enhance treatment outcomes for TMD patients.20
A randomised controlled experiment was undertaken by Manfredini et al. (2014) to assess the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and occlusal splint therapy in reducing pain and enhancing function in TMD patients. The authors randomly assigned 90 patients with TMD to three groups: CBT, occlusal splint therapy, or a combination of CBT and occlusal splint therapy. According to the study’s findings, all three treatment groups’ pain and function levels significantly improved compared to baseline. In contrast to the other two groups, the combination group (CBT plus occlusal splint therapy) saw the largest pain intensity reduction and the best improvement in function. The authors concluded that the combination of CBT and occlusal splint therapy is an effective treatment approach for TMD.21
Though isolated, few studies are reported in the literature similar to this study. Moreover, Sanchla et al.22 described that Class II (vertical) cases are more prone to TMD’s. Hence, this study would be clinically significant as correlating the skeletal features, radiologic soft tissue findings, and psychologic status would give a comprehensive picture of the TMD status and aetiology. Further, it will help in laying down a problem-oriented treatment protocol. The expected outcome of this study is to establish a positive correlation between the severity of clinical and radiological symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) and deteriorating mental well-being in the form of stress, anxiety, and depression. The study aims to identify potential predictors of TMDs, particularly psychological factors, to aid in the early diagnosis and management of TMDs, which may ultimately lead to an improved quality of life for individuals with TMDs.
Through a multidisciplinary approach that considers physical and psychological factors, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between TMDs and mental health. By establishing a cause-effect relationship between TMDs and mental health, this study may contribute to developing targeted treatment approaches to improve the quality of life of individuals with TMDs.
Zenodo: Correlation between Mental well-being and severity of Class II temporomandibular joint disorders, compared to non-temporomandibular joint disorders’, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7953756. 23
This project contains the following extended data:
Data are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC-BY 4.0).
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Is the rationale for, and objectives of, the study clearly described?
Yes
Is the study design appropriate for the research question?
Yes
Are sufficient details of the methods provided to allow replication by others?
Partly
Are the datasets clearly presented in a useable and accessible format?
Not applicable
Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.
Reviewer Expertise: Temporomandibular disorders, Orofacial pain, CBCT ,OPMD
Is the rationale for, and objectives of, the study clearly described?
Yes
Is the study design appropriate for the research question?
Yes
Are sufficient details of the methods provided to allow replication by others?
Yes
Are the datasets clearly presented in a useable and accessible format?
Yes
Competing Interests: No competing interests were disclosed.
Reviewer Expertise: Oral surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Maxillofacial Radiology, Dental Education
Alongside their report, reviewers assign a status to the article:
Invited Reviewers | ||
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Version 1 09 Oct 23 |
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