Evaluation of primary headache associated with temporomandibular dysfunction in adolescents from Santos, SP, Brazil: an observational study.
Renata Garcia de Siqueira Viegas, Sandra Kalil Bussadori, Ingrid Valéria Ribeiro Dos Santos Vicente and 7 others
PMID 30464368WHAT IT FOUND
Among 189 adolescents analysed, those with temporomandibular dysfunction were more likely to report headache, especially moderate headache.
Gender did not differ. This is an association, not proof that jaw problems cause headache.
Key findings
01Adolescents who reported headache were more likely to have temporomandibular dysfunction than adolescents who did not report headache.
02The association was strongest for moderate headache: 89.7% of adolescents with moderate headache had temporomandibular dysfunction.
03Gender was not associated with temporomandibular dysfunction: 63.6% of males and 61.8% of females had temporomandibular dysfunction.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study used only the Fonseca questionnaire to identify temporomandibular dysfunction, so it did not confirm the condition by clinical examination. Headache was self-reported and described as light or moderate, not diagnosed as a primary headache type by clinicians. The study did not test any treatment, so it cannot say whether treating jaw symptoms improves headache. Participants were adolescents from one city in Brazil, selected through a dentistry clinic, and several groups were excluded, including those receiving physiotherapy, orthodontic treatment, or certain medications, so the results may not apply to all adolescents with headache. The authors noted difficulty obtaining parent or guardian consent, which may have affected who could take part.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that treating temporomandibular dysfunction will relieve headache. This was a questionnaire study of adolescents, not a treatment trial, and it cannot show cause.