Management of painful temporomandibular disorders: Methods and overview of The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network prospective cohort study

National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Collaborative Group

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10 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Patients often seek consultation with dentists for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The objectives of this article were to describe the methods of a large prospective cohort study of painful TMD management, practitioners’ and patients’ characteristics, and practitioners’ initial treatment recommendations conducted by The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (the “network”). Methods: Participating dentists recruited into this study treated patients seeking treatment for painful TMDs. The authors developed self-report instruments based on well-accepted instruments. The authors collected demographics, biopsychosocial characteristics, TMD symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, treatment adherence, and painful TMDs and jaw function outcomes through 6 months. Results: Participating dentists were predominately White (76.8%) and male (62.2%), had a mean age of 52 years, and were general practitioners (73.5%) with 23.8% having completed an orofacial pain residency. Of the 1,901 patients with painful TMDs recruited, the predominant demographics were White (84.3%) and female (83.3%). Patients’ mean age was 44 years, 88.8% self-reported good to excellent health, and 85.9% had education beyond high school. Eighty-two percent had pain or stiffness of the jaw on awakening, and 40.3% had low-intensity pain. The most frequent diagnoses were myalgia (72.4%) and headache attributed to TMDs (51.0%). Self-care instruction (89.4%), intraoral appliances (75.4%), and medications (57.6%) were recommended frequently. Conclusions: The characteristics of this TMD cohort include those typical of US patients with painful TMDs. Network practitioners typically managed TMDs using conservative treatments. Practical Implications: This study provides credible data regarding painful TMDs and TMD management provided by network practitioners across the United States. Knowledge acquired of treatment recommendations and patient reports may support future research and improve dental school curricula.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)144-157
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of the American Dental Association
Volume153
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Research in this article was also supported by award UL1-TR002494 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences , National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Opinions and assertions contained herein are those of the authors and are not to be construed as necessarily representing the views of the respective organizations or the National Institutes of Health.

Funding Information:
This study was funded by grants NIH-NIDCR-U19-DE-28717, NIH-NIDCR-U19-DE-22516, NIH-NIDCR-U01-DE-18049, NIH-NIDCR-U01-DE-16747, U19-DE-22516, U19-DE-28717, R44DE026663, R42DE026663, U01DE019784 and U01DE013331 from the National Institutes of Health .

Funding Information:
This study was funded by grants NIH-NIDCR-U19-DE-28717, NIH-NIDCR-U19-DE-22516, NIH-NIDCR-U01-DE-18049, NIH-NIDCR-U01-DE-16747, U19-DE-22516, U19-DE-28717, R44DE026663, R42DE026663, U01DE019784 and U01DE013331 from the National Institutes of Health.Research in this article was also supported by award UL1-TR002494 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Opinions and assertions contained herein are those of the authors and are not to be construed as necessarily representing the views of the respective organizations or the National Institutes of Health.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Dental Association

Keywords

  • National Dental Practice-Based Research Network
  • Prospective
  • dental practitioners
  • temporomandibular disorders

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