Introduction:

temporomandibular disorders are a painful musculoskeletal condition that affects the chewing muscles, the temporomandibular joint and various anatomical structures of the stomatognathic system.

Objective:

to characterize temporomandibular disorders and muscle pain in patients over 18 years of age.

Methods:

a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in people over 18 years of age who attended the dental prosthesis consultation at the “Manuel Cedeño” Stomatological Specialties Clinic in Bayamo, Granma province, in the period between January and December 2018. They were used the variables: age, sex, index of clinical dysfunction and muscle pain on palpation. Diagnosis was made by anamnesis and physical examination, and the index of clinical dysfunction was determined using the Helkimo index modified by Maglione.

Results:

there was a predominance of the female sex (62.4%) and the age group of 40-49 years of age (47.2%), moderate dysfunction (46.4%) predominated in both sexes, female (47, 4%) and male (44.7%). 89.6% of the patients examined reported muscle pain on palpation.

Conclusions:

temporomandibular disorders predominated in the female sex and the age group of 40-49 years. Most of the patients had a moderate clinical dysfunction index and muscle pain on palpation is a frequent symptom in these patients.

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