Prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorders in a Mexican elderly group

Aim: To determine frequency and distribution of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) by age and sex in a group of elderly adults in Mexico City.  Material and methods: One hundred and fifty-four older adults in Mexico City were examined in a cross-sectional study. Subjects who had big edentulous gaps (absence of two or more teeth) or those who were fully edentulous, as well as those who refused to participate, were excluded from the study.  For the epidemiological survey, diagnostic criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD), after standardization by a dentist (kappa=0.892), were considered. Results. A 33.1% had some type of TMD, being more common in people between 60 and 69 years old, variable with which it was related (Likelihood Ratio=21.553, p=0.006, X2MH=08.389, p=0.021). A 14.3% reported some type of facial trauma history, behavior that also was statistically significant (X2MH=13.566, p= 0.0001). Disorders that occurred most frequently were: disc displacement with reduction (62.8%) and disc displacement without reduction (9.8%). Conclusions. TMD occurred in one of every three subjects surveyed, showing a relationship with age and trauma history.