Evaluation of Pain Perception in Patients With Temporomandibular Disorders

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the pain perception of patients with temporomandibular disorders and to investigate a possible association between pain sensitivity and temporomandibular disorders.

Patients and Methods

Fifty patients with temporomandibular disorders who were diagnosed according to research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders and 45 healthy volunteers were conducted. Visual analog scale, designed as 0 being no pain and 100 being worst pain ever experienced, was used to determine subjective pain expression during maximum mouth opening in patients and control subjects. All subjects’ pressure pain thresholds were measured 3 times on the hypothenar region of the left hand with a mechanical algometer. Mean value of measured scores was assumed to be the general pressure pain threshold of the individual.

Results

Patients with temporomandibular disorder had significantly lower general pressure pain threshold values than pain-free subjects. Women had lower general pressure pain threshold values than men within groups as well. In the patient group, those with limited mouth opening (≤40 mm) had significantly lower general pressure pain threshold values. Patients with general pressure pain threshold scores equal or less than 6 kg/cm² had higher visual analog scale scores (>50 mm). However this result was statistically insignificant.

Conclusions

According to the results of this study temporomandibular disorder patients were significantly different in terms of general pain perception. Systemic pain regulation mechanisms might be involved in temporomandibular disorder development. Some symptoms of temporomandibular disorder patients such as movement limitation and subjective pain expression might be originated from pain perception discrepancies besides severity of disease.