One year into the COVID-19 pandemic - temporomandibular disorders and bruxism: What we have learned and what we can do to improve our manner of treatment.

Dent Med Probl

Department of Oral Rehabilitation, The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

Published: July 2021

AI Article Synopsis

  • - The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted dental services, leading to the suspension of routine procedures and preventing high-risk patients from accessing care, particularly for issues like temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and bruxism.
  • - Limited studies conducted during the pandemic highlighted the negative impact of stress, anxiety, and depression on TMD and bruxism symptoms, resulting in increased orofacial pain for many individuals.
  • - Teledentistry emerged as a viable option for managing chronic orofacial pain, offering remote tools such as self-massage, stretching, and relaxation techniques, but it also raises important legal and ethical considerations in care delivery.

Article Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has drastically changed the routine way of life and challenged the ways in which health and dental services are provided. During the 1st lockdown, practiced in most of the countries, routine dental procedures were suspended. Even after the lockdown was eased, visiting crowded dental clinics was still considered health-threatening, especially among populations at high risk of developing a severe reaction to COVID-19. Regretfully, in most cases, temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and bruxism were not included under the definition of emergency, leaving many patients without the possibility of consulting their dentists. A literature search, performed about 10 months after the declaration of the pandemic, found only a few studies dealing with TMD and bruxism during COVID-19. Most of the studies indicate adverse effects on subjects' psycho-emotional status (stress, anxiety, depression), which in turn lead to the intensification of subjects' TMD and bruxism symptoms, and increased orofacial pain. Unlike other oral pathologies, which require manual interventions, chronic orofacial pain can be addressed, at least at its initial stage, through teledentistry and/or consultation. Remote first aid for patients suffering from orofacial pain includes various kinds of treatment, such as the self-massage of tense and painful areas, stretching, thermotherapy, drug therapy, relaxation techniques, meditation, and mindfulness, all of which can be administered through the phone and/or the Internet. Relevant legal and ethical issues should be considered while using remote modes for the triage, diagnosis and treatment of chronic orofacial pain patients.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.17219/dmp/132896DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

orofacial pain
16
tmd bruxism
12
covid-19 pandemic
8
temporomandibular disorders
8
chronic orofacial
8
year covid-19
4
pandemic temporomandibular
4
bruxism
4
disorders bruxism
4
bruxism learned
4

Similar Publications

Unlabelled: The prevalence of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) in patients with (dentofacial deformities) DFD is high, indicating a multifaceted relationship between physical and psychosocial factors.

Objective: To identify clusters of patients with DFD based on variables related to TMD, psychological aspects, somatization, oral habits, and sleep.

Method: Ninety-two patients with DFD were evaluated before orthognathic surgery according to demographic data, facial profile, presence of painful TMD (DC/TMD), psychological aspects, oral habits, comorbidities, substance use, and sleep quality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Topical Riboflavin versus 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Photodynamic Therapy for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Acne: A Split-face Randomized Study.

Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther

December 2024

Department of Dermatology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China; Candidate Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Skin Diseases, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China. Electronic address:

Background: ALA-PDT has been widely used in mild to moderate acne vulgaris worldwide. However, very few studies used riboflavin-PDT to treat acne vulgaris.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and adverse events of riboflavin-PDT to treat mild to moderate facial acne, and compare it with ALA-PDT on a non-inferiority basis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hormonal mechanisms in the paraventricular nuclei associated with hyperalgesia in Parkinson's disease model rats.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun

December 2024

Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, 1-8 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan. Electronic address:

Pain is a major non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). The relationship between hyperalgesia and neuropeptides originating from paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rats has already been investigated for oxytocin (OXT), but not yet for arginine vasopressin (AVP) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). The present study aimed to investigate the alterations in these neuropeptides following nociceptive stimulation in PD model rats and to examine the mechanisms of hyperalgesia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: PRO measures of symptoms in clinical trials have historically utilized visual and numerical scales but verbal descriptors may make it easier for patients to clearly differentiate between response options. This study assessed content validity and meaningful change in five verbal response scales (VRSs) used to assess chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyp (CRSwNP) symptom severity.

Methodology: This qualitative, semi-structured interview study recruited adults from the US, Germany, and China with confirmed moderate-to-severe CRSwNP.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Retrobulbar hematoma (RH) is a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency that may cause permanent vision loss. Lateral canthotomy and cantholysis (LCC) is typically performed when IOP is elevated or vision is compromised. The authors describe the outcomes of the largest cohort of patients with RH to date.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!