Treatment Needs and Financial Costs Associated with TMJD
Just as temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJD) are difficult to define, they are also difficult to treat. There are many types of treatment interventions, from very conservative to very aggressive.
Table 1: Treatment needs and financial costs associated with TMJD
| Source | Pub. Year | Subpopulation | Measure | Results | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stowell AW8 | 2007 | Patients with acute TMD, randomized into early intervention and nonintervention groups. | TMJD treatment cost data over one year | Early biopsychosocial treatment intervention is associated with lower long-term treatment costs (p=.029). | Randomized clinical trial (n=96) |
| Magnusson et al9 | 2002 | Randomly selected 15-year-olds from Sweden, followed for 20 years | TMJD treatment needs and treatment received over a 20-year period | 18% of subjects received TMJD treatment over 20 years with a success rate of 85%. 13% reported one or more frequent symptoms. 3% moderate/severe chronic TMJD at age 35. | Longitudinal cohort study (n=114, t=20 yrs) |
| White BA et al10 | 2002 | TMJD patients and matched subjects enrolled in a large HMO | At least one visit or procedure for TMJD. | Cases / Controls Mean TMD clinic visits 3.26 / N/A Mean dental visits: 7.46 / 5.28 | Case-control study (n=8,801 cases, 8,801 matched controls) |
| Pow EH et al11 | 2001 | Adult Chinese residents of Hong Kong | Number that sought treatment | Males / Females 3.4% / 3.2% | Cross-sectional study (telephone survey, response rate 56%) (n=1,526) |
| Shimshak, DG12 | 1998 | Patients in a claims database of a large New England managed care organization | Overall 1994 health care costs of TMJD vs. nonTMJD patients | Patients with TMJD were greater utilizers of both TMJD and non-TMJD-related healthcare services and had higher associated costs, even if treatment for TMJD was excluded: : TMJD pts / nonTMJD pts | Retrospective case-control study (n=1713 cases, 532,485 controls) |
References
8 Ibid reference 2.
9 Magnusson T, Egermark I, Carlsson GE. A longitudinal epidemiological study of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders from 15 to 35 years of age. J Orofac Pain 2000;14:310-319.
10 White BA, et al: Health care utilization cost among health maintenance organization members with temporomandibular disorders. J OROFAC PAIN 2001;15:158-169.
11 Ibid reference 13.
12 Shimshak DG, DeFuria, MC: Health care utilization by patients with temporomandibular joint disorders. The Journal of Craniomandibular Practice, July 1998, Vol. 16, No. 3:185-193.
July 2018