Stomatognathic dysfunctional symptoms in Saudi Arabian adolescents

Secondary school Saudi students participated in a questionnaire about stomatognathic dysfunction symptoms. The adolescents were interviewed about general health, peripheral joint disease, chewing function, oral parafunctions, and symptoms of dysfunction. Thirty-two per cent of participants had at least one dysfunction symptom. Pain on opening was the most common (35.7%), followed by headache (33.6%), and joint sounds (32.2%). Symptoms increased with decline in general health, particularly the health of peripheral joints. Chewing functions were not impaired. Tooth loss did not affect dysfunction symptoms in adolescents, whilst a weak relation was evident between oral parafunctions and symptoms of mandibular dysfunction.