# Prevalence of Temporomandibular Disorders in Completely Edentulous Patients Attending the Dental Consultation and Treatment Center in Casablanca: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study found a high prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in completely edentulous patients in Casablanca, particularly among older individuals and those with recent dentures.

## Contribution

This is the first study to assess temporomandibular disorders in completely edentulous patients in Casablanca using the Helkimo index.

## Key findings

- 40.8% of participants were over 65 years old, and age influenced temporomandibular dysfunction symptoms.
- 29.23% of patients with recent complete dentures reported temporomandibular disorders.
- The Helkimo index showed good alignment between anamnestic and clinical findings.

## Abstract

Introduction: Temporomandibular disorders pose complex challenges to efficient dental diagnosis and follow-up care. These disorders can significantly impact the physiological activities of edentulous patients, contributing to their high prevalence. This pioneering study aimed to determine the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders among edentulous patients seeking treatment at the Prosthodontic Department of the Dental Consultation and Treatment Center in Casablanca.

Methods: Over an eight-month period, all patients meeting the inclusion criteria and consulting the Prosthodontic Department were invited to participate anonymously in the study. Evaluation of the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders was performed using the Helkimo index. The outcomes were analyzed by correlating the research variables and the prevalence of the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders through the chi-squared test using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0 (Released 2011; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States).

Results: A total of 130 patients were included in this investigation. Our findings revealed that the predominant age group within our study population comprised individuals over 65 years, accounting for 40.8% of the participants. Age was observed to influence the expression of temporomandibular dysfunction symptoms. Among the population reporting temporomandibular disorders, patients with recent complete dentures appeared to be the most affected (29.23%). The selected index for diagnosing these disorders demonstrated satisfactory results in terms of the alignment between the anamnestic and clinical indices, along with consistency in findings.

Conclusion: Our study revealed a notable prevalence of temporomandibular disorders in these patients, indicating the need for future research on management strategies for these disorders, especially for those experiencing severe symptoms.