Risk factors for signs and symptoms of TMD in a rural adult southeast Tanzanian population

The aim of this study was to determine some risk factors for signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in a rural adult population of Southeast Tanzania. Two hundred and eighteen adults aged 40+ years participated in the study. Joint clicking was significantly higher (p<0.024) in the adults aged 60+ years than in the younger age group. Limited jaw opening was higher females than males (chi(2) = 46.4 on 2df; p<0.001), and there was a significant association between the type of toothbrush and limitation in jaw opening (chi(2) = 156.6 on 4df; p<0.001). The results suggest that the use of miswaki (chewing sticks) and advanced age are risk factors for the high prevalence of signs and symptoms of TIMID in this rural population. Further studies are recommended to control for other confounding factors such as socio-economic status.