The Impact of Temporomandibular Disorders on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Brazilian Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in children and the impact on their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).<br/> Methods: Data were collected by means of a questionnaire to evaluate the presence of TMD symptoms in eight to 10-year-old children. For those who answered at least one of the four questions in a positive manner, a clinical exam was done to confirm the diagnosis. The Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8-10) was applied to evaluate the OHRQoL. Poisson regression was used to associate the total scores and individual domains of the CPQ8-10 with sociodemographic factors and clinical conditions.<br/> Results: A total of 245 children participated in this cross-sectional study. One hundred and twenty-one (49.4 percent) were diagnosed with TMD; 57.9 percent were females and 42.1 percent were males. Children with a diagnosis of disc displacement with reduction had a negative impact on the domain of functional limitations (rate ratio=2.61, 95 percent confidence interval=1.19 to 5.75, P =0.017). <br/> Conclusion: The prevalence of signs and symptoms of TMD was high in our sample, and signs and symptoms of TMD had a negative impact on children's OHRQoL in the domain of functional limitations.