Prevalence of temporomandibular symptoms in a large United States metropolitan area.

The prevalence of five symptoms of temporomandibular disorder and associated symptoms of pain, headache, and stress was estimated in a random telephone survey of a large United States metropolitan area. The prevalences for nocturnal bruxing, joint noise with use, soreness on waking, soreness with use, and diurnal clenching were roughly equivalent (ranging from 8% to 12%) and were within the range of prevalences reported in previous studies. Overall, 149 of the 500 respondents reported one or more of the five symptoms. Symptoms were not more prevalent among women than men, but were more prevalent among younger respondents. Soreness on waking and daytime clenching were the only symptoms significantly associated with report of pain. Pain was more commonly reported by respondents with multiple (four or five) symptoms. The results are compared with those of previous random surveys, and limitations to generalization of the present findings are discussed.