Potential association between nasal deformities and temporomandibular disorders : A cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential association between common nasal deformities (ND) and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) according to the diagnostic criteria (DC/TMD).

Enrolled subjects were initially screened using the DC/TMD and then evaluated by an otorhinolaryngologist (ENT specialist) for the presence of ND, relative severity of these, as well as the signs and symptoms. The identified ND were categorized into four major groups: nasal septal deviation (NSD), inferior turbinate hypertrophy (ITH), a combination of both NSD and ITH, and other deformities. The relationships between variables and differences between groups were analyzed using Χ² test and Mann-Whitney U test. To identify the contribution of nasal deformity towards TMD diagnosis, hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted.

The study population comprised 368 participants (185 females and 183 males). A total of 98 (26.7%) patients were diagnosed with TMD, while 152 (41.3%) participants had one or more types of ND. The presence of ND was associated with an increased incidence of intra-articular disorders (IAD; p = 0.05) and joint clicking (p = 0.027). Nasal signs and symptoms were significantly associated with clicking (p = 0.025). NSD was associated with a 1.77 increase in the odds of having a TMD diagnosis (p = 0.020), a 2.45 increase in the odds of having IAD (p = 0.005), and a 1.62 increase in the odds of having joint clicking (p = 0.044).

The presence of ND, especially NSD, appears to be associated with TMD, most notably with IAD, in addition to joint clicking. Therefore, individuals with ND should be carefully screened for TMD and referred for further evaluation whenever indicated. Further studies are required to validate these findings.