Missing posterior teeth and risk of temporomandibular disorders

There is disagreement about the association between missing posterior teeth and the presence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Here, the purpose was to investigate whether the number of missing posterior teeth, their distribution, age, and gender are associated with TMD. Seven hundred and forty-one individuals, aged 21-60 years, with missing posterior teeth, 386 with and 355 without TMD, were included. Four variables-gender, age, the number of missing posterior teeth, and the number of dental quadrants with missing posterior teeth-were analyzed with a logistic regression model. All four variables-gender (OR = 1.59, men = 1, women = 2), age (OR = 0.98), the number of missing posterior teeth (OR = 0.51), and the number of dental quadrants with missing posterior teeth (OR = 7.71)-were entered into the logistic model (P < 0.01). The results indicate that individuals who lose posterior teeth, with fewer missing posterior teeth but in more quadrants, have a higher prevalence of TMD, especially young women.