Clinical and psychosocial aspects assessed by the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorder

ABSTRACT Purpose: to analyze the association between the classification of clinical diagnoses (myofascial pain, disk displacement and joint disorder) and chronic pain grade, depression and non-specific physical symptoms in subjects with temporomandibular disorder. Methods: 32 patients, mean age 28.71±4.66 years, were included. The assessment tool used was the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders - Axis I and II. Regarding the diagnostic group, 88.13% of patients showed mixed conditions, with 43.75% from groups I and III (muscle and joint disorders) and 34.38% from groups I, II and III (muscle and joint disorders, and disk displacement). Results: according to Axis II, 96.88% the participants were classified as having chronic pain, grade I and II (low disability and low intensity; low disability and high intensity). Moderate and severe degrees of depression were observed in 84.38% of the participants. In the assessment of non-specific physical symptoms including and excluding pain, respectively, 59.38% showed severe symptoms and 71.88% had moderate and severe symptoms. There was a significant relationship between the clinical diagnosis of temporomandibular disorder and the degree of non-specific physical symptoms including pain. Conclusion: some clinical and psychosocial factors are associated in patients with temporomandibular disorder, observing a variety of clinical diagnoses with a significant relationship between clinical diagnoses and the presence of non-specific physical symptoms with pain. Complaints of greater severity of physical symptoms were found in patients with multiple clinical diagnoses.