COVID-19 pandemic and the psyche, bruxism, temporomandibular disorders triangle

• Published in: Cranio Vol. ahead-of-print; no. ahead-of-print; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Colonna, Anna, Guarda-Nardini, Luca, Ferrari, Marco, Manfredini, Daniele
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 03-07-2024
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; bruxism; Bruxism - epidemiology; Bruxism - psychology; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; Facial Pain - epidemiology; Facial Pain - psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Middle Aged; orofacial pain; Pandemics; psychological assessment; Surveys and Questionnaires; temporomandibular disorders; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - epidemiology; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders - psychology; Young Adult; COVID-19; orofacial pain; bruxism; psychological assessment; temporomandibular disorders
• ISSN: 0886-9634; 2151-0903
• DOI: 10.1080/08869634.2021.1989768

To investigate the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the report of psychological status, bruxism, and TMD symptoms.
An online survey was drafted to report the presence of psychological status, bruxism activities, and reported symptoms of TMDs perceived during the COVID-19 pandemic in a population of 506 individuals.
Mental health is not positive during the Coronavirus pandemic: almost half the subjects reported an increase in bruxism behaviors, while up to one-third reported an increase in their symptoms involving the TMJ and jaw muscles. Specifically, 36% and 32.2% of participants reported increased pain in the TMJ and facial muscles, respectively, and almost 50% of the subjects also reported more frequent migraines and/or headaches.
Increased psychosocial distress during the COVID-19 pandemic can increase the frequency of TMD symptoms and bruxism behaviors, which, in turn, constitute a triangle of mutually interacting factors with the psychological and emotional status.