Prevalence of signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders and orofacial parafunction in 4‐6‐year‐old African‐American and Caucasian children

Abstract

Children, 4-6 years old, 153 Caucasian and 50 African-American, from a pre-school and kindergarten programme in a low income industrial area, who participated in a voluntary oral health examination, were questioned and examined for signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders (CMD) and of oral parafunctions. Most of the CMD signs and symptoms were mild. Eight per cent had recurrent (at least 1-2 times per week) TMJ pain, and 5% had recurrent neck pain, African-American chil- dren more often than Caucasian children ( P < 0.05). Seventeen per cent had recurrent headache. Three percent had recurrent earache. Pain or tiredness in the jaws during chewing was reported by 25% of the children, more often by African-American than by Caucasian children ( P < 0.001) and more often by girls than by boys ( p < 0.05). Pain at jaw opening occurred in 10% of the children, more often in the African-American than in the Caucasian group ( P < 0.001). Thirteen per cent of the children had problems in opening the mouth. Deviation during opening was observed in 17% and reduced opening in 2%. Reduced lateral movements, locking or luxation were not observed in any child. Palpation pain was found in the lateral TMJ area in 16%, in the posterior TMJ area in 25%, in the temporalis and masseter areas in 10%, and pain for all regions was found more often in the African-American than in the Caucasian children ( P < 0.01). Thirty-four per cent of the African-American, and 15% of the Caucasian children admitted to having ear noises ( P < 0.01). TMJ sounds, as recorded by auscultation, occured in 48% of the children, more often in the African- American than in the Caucasin children ( P < 0.001) and more often in girls than in boys ( P < 0.05). Bruxism was noted in 31% of the African-American and in 17% of the Caucasin children ( P < 0.05). Thumb sucking was reported in 56% of the children, more in the girls than in the boys ( P < 0.01). The habit was still present in 29% of the children. Fifty-five per cent had the parafunction nail biting. The results of this study showed that mild but distinct signs and symptoms of CMD already occur by the age 4-6 with slight differences in distribution observed between the sexes and strong differences noted between the African-American and the Caucasian races