A Preliminary Investigation of the Personality of Female Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Patients

Abstract

The scope of this study was to investigate whether there are personality characteristics which are common to female temporomandibular joint patients, and to uncover the nature of these characteristics in order to infer the psychodynamics of the condition. An inter-personal diagnosis of 37 patients who exhibited cranio-facial pain, limitation of jaw movement, or 1 of these in combination with crepitation or clicking of the joint was carried out by means of MMPI [Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory] profiles, self-ratings, and TAT [Thematic Apperception Test] cards. Social data and medical histories were obtained through questionnaires. The results indicated that a significant number of these patients manifested a common and distinctive personality pattern when compared with other dental patients, medical patients afflicted with arthritis and neuro-muscular disorders, a group of apparently healthy females, and psychotics and neurotics. On the other hand, a marked similarity was noted when the temporomandibular joint group was compared with certain groups of psychosomatic patients. All of these groups tended to describe themselves and were seen by others as responsible, generous, and managerial. The absence of responses classified as submissive or dependent among temporomandibular joint patients whould seem to reveal a heavy reliance on denial and repression in order to maintain a rigidly consistent self-concept which so emphasizes normalcy and strength that the only admissible problems are, consequently, physical. This would seem to account for the generalized somatic tension and the high rate of addiction to various tension-relieving oral habits. All of these findings tend to confirm the concept of psychologic tension as 1 of the major etiological agents in temporomandibular dysfunction among females.