Temporomandibular disorders, neck disability, and oral parafunctions in tinnitus patients: A cross-sectional epidemiological study from Southern Italy.

Cimino, Roberta; Bucci, Rosaria; Ambrosio, Andrea; Carrabba, Laura; Corrado, Bruno; Simeon, Vittorio; Michelotti, Ambrosina

To assess the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in a sample of tinnitus patients and to determine the association between tinnitus, TMD, neck disability, and oral parafunctions. Seventy-nine tinnitus patients were enrolled and underwent standardized clinical examination for TMD. The tinnitus severity was measured with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). The oral parafunctions were self-reported with the Oral Behavior Checklist (OBC). The neck disability was recorded with the Neck Disability Index (NDI). More than half of the sample presented TMD, and the most frequent diagnosis was TMD pain. Higher THI was observed in TMD-pain individuals, compared to TMD-free (β 18.4; 95%CI 6.7, 30.1; p = 0.002). The OBC showed a significant low-to-moderate positive correlation with the THI (rho= 0.368, p = 0.001), while the NDI did not. Standardized assessment of TMD and oral behaviors should be integrated into the routine diagnostic evaluations of tinnitus patients.

ITALY; TINNITUS; DISABILITIES; CROSS-sectional method; NECK; NECK pain; TEMPOROMANDIBULAR disorders; MASTICATORY muscles

CRANIO: The Journal of Craniomandibular & Sleep Practice, 2022, Vol 40, Issue 6, p485

0886-9634

Academic Journal

10.1080/08869634.2020.1781499