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. 2024 Sep 5;16(9):e68698.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.68698. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet: A Tool to the Therapeutic Approaches for Patients With Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

Lydia Kesidou  1 , Theodore Fasilis  2 , Athanasia Alexoudi  3   4 , Olga Kesidou  5 , Georgios Tsatov  6 , Areti Tsoga  7
Affiliations

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet: A Tool to the Therapeutic Approaches for Patients With Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

Lydia Kesidou et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background and aim: Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is characterized by symptoms such as clenching, clicking, and locking of the jaw, often due to improper positioning affecting occlusion. Nearly half of TMD patients rarely require treatment, as symptoms typically diminish on their own within a year. Nevertheless, a significant majority of persons who are diagnosed with TMD do necessitate therapy, and it may take up to three years for complete remission to occur. This study aims to determine the extent to which a healthy nutritional model, specifically the Mediterranean diet, can enhance the effectiveness of existing therapeutic treatments, like physiotherapy with warm pads.

Methods: An interventional study design was implemented. Baseline scores were obtained pre- and post-intervention, while Mediterranean diet adherence was evaluated once at the beginning. A dependent samples t-test and a one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were used to test the experimental hypotheses.

Results: There is a statistically significant difference (p=0.04) between the three groups associated with Mediterranean diet adherence, as indicated by the mean differences on the Jaw Functional Limitation Scale (JFLS-20) questionnaire. Participants following a medium or high level of Mediterranean diet (≥18) reported fewer problems with jaw functionality both before and after the intervention compared to those with low (<18) adherence to the diet.

Conclusion: Adherence to the Mediterranean diet appears to have a therapeutic effect on patients with TMD, offering a new dimension to their treatment. The primary benefit is the low cost of treatment, as the diet is easily accessible. This dietary approach could significantly enhance the management of TMD symptoms.

Keywords: gut-brain axis; joint osteoarthritis; mediterranean diet; myofascial pain; neuromuscular junction disorders; nutrition; physical therapy; public heath dentist; temporomandibular disorders; tmj disorders and dentistry.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Ethics and Research Committee of Santorini Hospital issued approval 3625/13-06-2023. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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