Excessive daytime sleepiness in temporomandibular disorder patients

Objective: To investigate the relationship between excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and associated factors in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients. Methods: Medical records of 350 TMD patients were collected. The EDS status was measured by Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). TMD patients were classified according to ESS scores into TMD patients with EDS (ESS ≥10) and without EDS (ESS <10). The relationship between EDS status and associated factors, such as demographic, TMD symptom severity, and psychological status was analyzed using chi-square and t-test. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05. Results: Approximately 28.57% of TMD patients presented with EDS. These patients possessed a significantly higher level of TMD symptom severity, stress, anxiety, and depression, compared to TMD patients without EDS. Discussion: TMD patients with EDS distinctively suffer both physically and psychologically. This warrants further investigation for the causes and effects as well as underlying mechanisms of EDS in TMD.