Frequency of temporomandibular disorder signs and symptoms among call center employees

Abstract

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the frequency of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among call center employees.

Methods: Workers from four call centers (CC) were invited to participate in this study. The examination was based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder (RDC/TMD). The tenderness of the masticator muscles was assessed on both sides by bilateral palpation. The mobility of the mandible was measured with a plastic millimeter ruler on opening, lateral excursions, and protrusion.

Results: In total, 124 call center employees with a mean age of 28.61 ± 4.71 (between 22 and 47 years of age) were enrolled in this study. There was no statistically significant relation between the numbers of calls answered in a day and teeth clenching, teeth grinding, earache, tinnitus, or pain on yawning/chewing. Only protrusive movement pain and joint noise were significantly higher among employees who answered more than 140 calls/day (p < 0.01). An evaluation of the TMD signs and symptoms in relation to job stress level revealed that job stress level significantly affected the incidence of headaches among call center employees (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: The present study demonstrated no statistically significant relation between TMD signs and symptoms and call center employees except protrusive movement pain and joint noise. This relation was seen only in the employees who answered more than 140 calls per day. Headache, teeth clenching, and TMJ noise were the signs and symptoms encountered most often in this study. Multicentered studies in different geographic locations should be conducted to eliminate the limitation of this study.

Keywords: Call center; Headache; Masticatory muscles; Stomatognathic system; TMD.