Clinical and demographic features of patients with occlusal dysesthesia: a retrospective cross‑sectional study

To characterize clinical and demographic features of adults presenting with occlusal dysesthesia (OD) and to estimate whether demographic characteristics are associated with the likelihood of OD presentation.

This retrospective cross-sectional study reviewed charts of 1323 consecutive new adult patients (≥18 years) at a university prosthodontics department from September 2020 to August 2024. OD was defined by occlusion-focused chief complaint without explanatory dental pathology, excluding structural confounders like degenerative joint disease. Controls included all other patients. Variables abstracted included age, sex, medical history, symptom duration, perceived precipitants, and verbatim symptom language categorized into patterns. Comparisons used t-tests and chi-squared tests; associations were assessed via logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cancer).

Of 1323 patients, 47 (3.6 %) met OD criteria (mean age 53.6 ± 14.3 years; 83 % female) and 1276 were controls (mean age 55.7 ± 18.7 years; 55 % female). Midlife (40-59 years) was overrepresented (48.9 % vs 27.0 % in controls; p=.004). Symptom duration averaged 25.1 ± 24.4 months; 70.2 % attributed onset to prosthodontic treatment. Common symptoms included pressure/pain (19.1 %) and premature contact (17.0 %). Fully adjusted odds ratios showed higher OD odds for females (OR 4.136; 95 % CI 1.907-8.970; p<.001) and midlife adults (OR 2.315; 95 % CI 1.045-5.141) versus young adults; no association for ≥60 years (OR 0.821; 95 % CI 0.331-2.038).

In this consecutive cohort, female sex and midlife age are independently associated with OD presentation. Although causality cannot be inferred, these findings may support the use of conservative, communication-focused management at the first presentation.

This study's findings provide a descriptive demographic and clinical profile of patients with OD. Clinicians may consider the observed predominance of female and midlife patients in OD and, when no structural abnormalities are present, may opt for conservative measures such as patient education rather than irreversible adjustments.