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. 2022 Jan 15;14(1):e21276.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.21276. eCollection 2022 Jan.

Prevalence and Severity of Temporomandibular Disorders in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Mohammad A Mustafa  1 , Bader A Al-Attas  2 , Fatma F Badr  3 , Fatma M Jadu  3 , Siraj O Wali  4 , Yasser M Bawazir  5
Affiliations

Prevalence and Severity of Temporomandibular Disorders in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Mohammad A Mustafa et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Introduction The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is an important joint that plays major functions, including dental occlusion, mastication, and facial expressions. Different diseases can affect the TMJ, including chronic inflammatory arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common inflammatory arthritis worldwide associated with TMJ dysfunction. In this study, we assess the prevalence of TMJ among RA patients based on the Fonseca Anamnestic Index. Methods Eighty-one patients with rheumatoid arthritis were interviewed by a trained physician to fulfill the Fonseca Anamnestic Index questionnaire. All participants underwent a medical file review to collect their sociodemographic data, RA duration, co-existing comorbidities, and different lab results. Result According to the Fonseca score, 29.6% had no temporomandibular disorder (TMD) among RA patients, while 39.5% had mild TMD. Only 6% had severe TMD. The female sex and increased body weight were associated with TMJ disease. Conclusion The majority of rheumatoid arthritis patients (70%) suffer from some degree of temporomandibular joint disorder.

Keywords: fonseca anamnestic index; inflammatory arthritis; rheumatoid arthritis; tempomandibular joint; tempomandibular joint dysfunction..

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Prevalence of TMD among RA patients (n=81) according to Fonseca score
TMD - temporomandibular disorder; RA - rheumatoid arthritis
Figure 2
Figure 2. Comparison of the Fonseca classification categories according to patient body weight
TMD - temopormandibular disorder
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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