Increased occurrence of temporomandibular joint disorders in COVID-19 confirmed patients

To examine the prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJD) in COVID-19 confirmed patients before and after adjustments for risk factors such as fibromyalgia, nocturnal bruxism, and anxiety disorders.

The i2b2 database was used to query searches of patient records at University of Florida Health Centers. Queries were submitted for the number of total hospital patients, TMJD cases, COVID-19 cases, and TMJD with COVID-19 cases from December 2019 to July 2021. Additional searches excluded fibromyalgia, nocturnal bruxism, and anxiety to examine their prevalence as risk factors.

Out of the 548,646 total hospital patients, 86 had a diagnosis of both COVID-19 and TMJD, 14,836 had only COVID-19, and 1,856 had only TMJD. The odds ratio (OR) for having TMJD with COVID-19 was 1.7, with around 80% of TMJD occurring in young adult females. Excluding fibromyalgia and nocturnal bruxism did not change the OR. Anxiety was present in 37% of COVID-19 with TMJD cases and exclusion of this population significantly diminished the odds ratio to 1.08. These results demonstrate a correlation between COVID-19 and TMJD that dissolves when adjusting for stress. Thus, anxiety is a significant factor in the prevalence of TMJD in COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 positive patients demonstrate an increased risk of developing TMJD, with a correlation to stress and anxiety that should be addressed during treatment.