Association of climacterium with temporomandibular disorders at the age of 46 years - a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Hormonal factors have been suggested to contribute to female dominance among subjects with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Aim of the study was to examine the association of climacteric status with TMD amongst female participants in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC) 1966 at 46 years of age.

Material And Methods: Among female subjects in NFBC1966, climacteric status was determined based on menstrual anamnesis and measurement of blood follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. Women with FSH > 25 IU/L and amenorrhoea > 4 months were defined as climacteric (case group,  71); women not diagnosed as climacteric were defined as preclimacteric (control group,  656). Differences between cases and controls were evaluated on self-reported TMD pain, clinical TMD signs and TMD diagnoses using modified Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) protocol. Crosstabulation and logistic regression models were used to analyse differences between cases and controls.

Results: Compared to preclimacteric women, climacteric women had significantly more often pain on palpation in temporomandibular joints (TMJs) (OR = 2.64, 95% CI 1.12-6.21,  .026) and more crepitus in TMJs (OR = 2.92, 95% CI 1.13-7.56,  .027). Degenerative joint disease diagnoses were more common in climacteric than preclimacteric women (OR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.05-4.91,  .037). Differences were statistically significant after adjusting for confounding factors (body mass index (BMI), smoking, parity). No statistically significant differences in self-reported TMD pain were noted between groups.

Conclusion: Among females at the age of 46 years, climacterium seems associated with TMD by increasing pain on palpation in TMJs, subjective symptoms, and clinical signs indicating degenerative changes in TMJs when using DC/TMD.