Abstract

RIOS, Ana Carla F. C.; ROCHA, Paulo Vicente B. da  and  SANTOS, Lydia de Brito. Comparative Study between the Anamnetic Index of temporomandibular dysfunction and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in older women. Odontol. Clín.-Cient. (Online) [online]. 2012, vol.11, n.3, pp. 221-227. ISSN 1677-3888.

Brazilian older population is on the increase since the last decade, a fact that draws attention on the older people's health needs. The conducted study aimed to assess the relation between the Temporomandibular Dysfunction (TMD) and anxiety levels in a group of 73 functionally independent women aged 60 to 87. An anamnestic index for TMD was the tool to classify individuals of the sample as: women without TMD, women with slight TMD, women with moderate TMD and women with severe TMD. The State-Trait Anxious Inventory (STAI) was used to classify the individuals in the sample as to their ability to face psychological stress with anxiety (anxious trait) and the momentary anxiety level (anxious state). The collected data were subjected to correlation analysis between the TMD index and the anxiety level, on the anxious trait (A-trait) and anxious state (A-state) scales, applying the Spearman correlation rate and it resulted in a statistically significant relation (p<0.05) between the TMD index and the state-trait anxiety scale. We can conclude that there was correlation between TMD and anxiety into the studied group.

Keywords : Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome; Anxiety; Woman Aged; Dental Care for Aged; Geriatric Dentistry..