Longitudinal changes in craniomandibular dysfunction in an elderly population in northern Sweden

Abstract

Nordstrom G, Eriksson S. Longitudinal changes in craniomandibular dysfunction in an elderly population in northern Sweden. Acta Odontol Scand 1994;52:271–279. Oslo. ISSN 0001-6357.

Longitudinal changes and cohort differences in craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) were studied in a 79-year-old cohort (n = 65) and in 70-year-old cohorts in 1981 (n = 62) and 1990 (n = 60) by means of interview and clinical examination. Although the frequency of reported CMD symptoms decreased, many clinical signs of CMD increased during the 9-year observation period. Women reported more symptoms and showed more signs of CMD than men, and a great many of the clinical signs registered in 1981 still persisted in 1990. The 70-year-old cohort studied in 1990 showed a lower frequency of reported symptoms of CMD and of temporomandibular joint pain on palpation and a higher frequency of muscle pain and mandibular deviation than the 70-year-olds examined in 1981.