Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders Among Dental Students of College of Dentistry-Hawler Medical University.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a group of conditions affecting the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement, can cause pain and discomfort in the jaw, face, and neck, and affect a person's ability to speak, chew, and swallow. Aim: The present study aims to specify the prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorder among dental students of Hawler Medical University. Method: The research conducted involved a group of 120 dental students, with an equal number of males and females from Hawler Medical University. The required data were collected by developing a particular questionnaire by modifying Fonseca's questionnaire. The study was performed during a period of one month from January to February. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to determine the severity of the pain and dysfunction in the participant's muscles. Results: More than 75% of the participants had no deviation. In 65.8% of the students, class 1 occlusion was observed. Trauma was observed in just 12.5% of the participants. Bite and bruxism habits were observed in 24.2% and 10% of the students respectively. Moreover, 30% of students had disturbed sleep. Severe TMJ pain was reported in 4.2% and 0.8% of females and males respectively. Conclusions: The occurrence of TMD among males was less than among females. Most of the participants had mild TMJ pain. There was a significant association between symptoms of TMD and para-functional habits. Keywords: Temporomandibular disorder, Temporomandibular joint, Fonseca's questionnaire.