Prevalence of clinical signs of intra-articular temporomandibular disorders in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the prevalence of clinical signs of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders in children and adolescents.

Type of studies reviewed: The authors selected only studies in which the investigators' primary objective was to evaluate the prevalence of signs of TMJ disorders according to the international Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) in children and adolescents. The authors performed electronic searches without language restriction in 5 databases. The authors also assessed quality.

Results: In this review and meta-analysis, the authors included 11 articles that described studies in which 17,051 participants had been enrolled. The overall prevalence of clinical signs of intra-articular joint disorders was 16% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.59-19.94; n = 17,051). The prevalence of TMJ sounds (click and crepitation) was 14% (95% CI, 9.67-19.79; n = 11,316). The most prevalent sign was clicking (10.0%; 95% CI, 7.97-12.28; n = 9,665) followed by jaw locking (2.3%; 95% CI, 0.56-5.22; n = 5,735).

Conclusions and practical implications: One in 6 children and adolescents have clinical signs of TMJ disorders. The results of this systematic research study can alert dentists about the importance of looking for signs of TMD in children and adolescents.