• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.353-360
• /
• 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of depression, somatization, and jaw disability on graded chronic pain of TMD using Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). Ninety-three patients (17 men and 76 women, mean$\pm$SD age of 30.1$\pm$12.5 years) diagnosed with TMD based on RDC/TMD axis I criteria were administered RDC/TMD axis II history questionnaire. The relationships between depression, somatization, jaw disability, and each parameters of graded chronic pain (e.g. pain intensity, pain days, disability score, disability days, graded chronic pain scale) were analyzed by multiple regression analysis. The obtained results were as follows: 1. Among 93 TMD patients, the prevalence of low disability group of graded chronic pain scale was 42.0% and high disability group of graded chronic pain scale was 51.5%. 2. Depression did not show any significant influences on pain intensity, pain days, disability score, disability days, and graded chronic pain scale. 3. Somatization showed a significant effect on pain intensity (p<0.01), disability days (p<0.01), and graded chronic pain scale (p<0.01) except for both pain days and disability score. 4. Jaw disability also showed a significant effect on pain intensity (P<0.001), disability days (p<0.01), and graded chronic pain scale (P<0.001) except for both pain days and disability score. Somatization and jaw disability may closely relate to the pain intensity and degree of disability that TMD patients perceive. Therefore, comprehensive understanding of psychological profile and improvement of functional limitation of jaw movements in the patient should be considered to obtain an excellent outcome of chronic TMD management.