KNOWLEDGE OF PRIMARY CARE DENTISTS FROM A BRAZILIAN NORTHEAST CAPITAL REGARDING TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66104/g435sz85Keywords:
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders; Primary Health Care; Dentists; Primary Care.Abstract
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) comprises a set of conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles, and associated structures; it is a public health problem due to its prevalence and negative impact on quality of life. Primary Health Care serves as the main gateway to the Unified Health System (SUS), and dental surgeons working at this level play a fundamental role in the identification and management of these patients. This is an observational descriptive study conducted with dental surgeons working in Primary Health Care (PHC) in the city of Teresina, Piauí. Data collection was performed using a semi-structured questionnaire, administered both remotely and in person, covering sociodemographic characteristics, professional background, and subject-specific topics. Data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. A total of 62 dental surgeons participated, mostly female, with over 10 years of professional experience and graduates of public universities. Self-assessment of knowledge regarding TMD was predominantly rated as fair, although most participants claimed to recognize patients with this condition. The findings highlight gaps in theoretical and practical knowledge regarding TMD, consistent with the literature, which points to limitations in academic training and continuing education on the subject. It is concluded that these Primary Health Care professionals possess intermediate knowledge of temporomandibular disorders, which may negatively impact the clinical management of these patients.
Downloads
References
ALVES, A. C.; DOMINGUES, F. P.; ALVIM, I. de S.; LUCAS, Wanalua N. Distúrbios Temporomandibulares: Etiologia, manifestações clínicas e abordagens terapêuticas para um problema multifatorial. Jornal de Pesquisa Médica e Biociências. [S. l.] , v. 3, pág. 497–505, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.70164/jmbr.v2i3.741
American Association for Dental Research. AADR policy statement on temporomandibular disorder. 2010.
APS REDES. Organização da Atenção Primária em Teresina. Disponível em: https://apsredes.org/organizacao-da-atencao-primaria-em-teresina/. Acesso em: 11 fev. 2026.
ASSIS, J. F. C.; SILVA, P. L. P.; LIMA, J. A. S.; FORTE, F. D. S.; BATISTA, A. U. D. The knowledge level of dental surgeons regarding the relationship between occlusal factors and temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Revista de Odontologia da UNESP, Araraquara, v. 44, n. 6, p. 360–367, dez. 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-2577.11615
BRASIL. Ministério da Saúde. Centro de Especialidades Odontológicas: especialidades oferecidas e funcionamento dos CEOs. Publicações sobre centro de especialidades odontológicas. Disponível em: https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/composicao/saps/brasil-sorridente/ceo. Acesso em: 10 fev. 2026.
BRASIL. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Departamento de Atenção Básica. Saúde bucal. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde. Série A. Normas e Manuais Técnicos. Cadernos de Atenção Básica, n. 17. 2006.
CONSELHO FEDERAL DE ODONTOLOGIA – CFO. Quantidade geral de cirurgiões-dentistas especialistas. Disponível em: https://website.cfo.org.br/estatisticas/quantidade-geral-de-cirurgioes-dentistas-especialistas/. Acesso em: 10 fev. 2026.
DE LEEUW, R.; KLASSER, G. D. Orofacial pain: guidelines for assessment, diagnosis, and management. 5. ed. Illinois: Quintessence Publishing, 2013.
FREITAS, L. V.; LOPES, A. C.; PIATTO, V. B.; MANIGLIA, J. V. Association of temporomandibular dysfunction with the 102T-C polymorphism in the serotonin receptor gene in Brazilian patients. Archives of Medical Science, v. 9, n. 6, p. 1013–1018, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/aoms.2013.39215
HENRIQUE, V. L.; PACHECO, K. C. M.; AGUIAR, I. H. A.; BRITO, W. C. O.; SILVA, P. L. P.; BATISTA, A. U. D. Prevalência de sintomas de disfunção temporomandibular, fatores associados e impacto na qualidade de vida em usuários da rede básica de saúde. Research, Society and Development, v. 11, n. 1, e13911124560, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i1.24560
KANTER, R. J. A. M.; BATTISTUZZI, P. G. F. C. M.; TRUIN, G.-J. Temporomandibular disorders: “occlusion” matters! Pain Research and Management, v. 2018, p. 1–7, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8746858
KOTIRANTA, U.; SUVINEN, T.; KAUKO, T.; LE BELL, Y.; KEMPPAINEN, P.; SUNI, J.; FORSSELL, H. Subtyping patients with temporomandibular disorders in a primary health care setting on the basis of the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders axis II pain-related disability: a step toward tailored treatment planning. Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache, v. 29, n. 2, p. 126-134, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11607/ofph.1319
LOUREDO, I. N.; FRANÇA JUNIOR, M. F. Deslocamento anterior do disco articular da ATM sem reposicionamento. Research, Society and Development, v. 11, n. 15, p. 1–9, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i15.37326
MANFREDINI, D.; STELLINI, E.; GRACCO, A.; LOMBARDO, L.; NARDINI, L. G.; SICILIANI, G. Orthodontics is temporomandibular disorder–neutral. The Angle Orthodontist, v. 86, n. 4, p. 649–654, jul. 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2319/051015-318.1
OKESON, J. P. Management of Temporomandibular Disorders and Occlusion. 7. ed. St. Luiso: Elsevier, 2013.
OLIVEIRA, L. R. L. B. de; ALVES, L. dos S.; VIEIRA, A. P. F.; PASSOS, U. L.; LEITE, C. da C.; GEBRIM, E. S. Temporomandibular joint: from anatomy to internal derangement. Radiologia Brasileira, São Paulo, v. 56, n. 2, p. 102–109, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-3984.2022.0072
PAULINO, M. R.; MOREIRA, V. G.; LEMOS, G. A.; SILVA, P. L. P.; BONAN, P. R. F.; BATISTA, A. U. D. Prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in college preparatory students: associations with emotional factors, parafunctional habits, and impact on quality of life. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, v. 23, n. 1, p. 173-186, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232018231.18952015
RODRIGUES, T. D. de D. F.; OLIVEIRA, C. S. de; SANTOS, J. A. dos. Investigación cualitativa y cuantitativa en educación. Revista Prisma, Rio de Janeiro, v. 2, n. 1, p. 154–174, 2021.
SIMM, W.; GUIMARÃES, S. A. The teaching of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain at undergraduate level in Brazilian dental schools. Journal of Applied Oral Science, Bauru, v. 21, n. 6, p. 518–524, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-775720130235
SIQUERI, C. A. S.; PEREIRA, G. A.; SUMIDA, G. T.; MAFRA, A. C. C. N.; BONFIM, D.; ALMEIDA, L. Y.; MONTEIRO, C. N. What are the implications of problem-solving capacity at primary health care in older adult health? Einstein (São Paulo), São Paulo, v. 20, eGS6791, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2022GS6791
SOUSA, D. F. M.; GONÇALVES, M. L. L.; POLITTI, F.; LOVISETTO, R. D. P.; FERNANDES, K. P. S.; BUSSADORI, S. K.; MESQUITA-FERRARI, R. A. Photobiomodulation with simultaneous use of red and infrared light emitting diodes in the treatment of temporomandibular disorder: study protocol for a randomized, controlled and double-blind clinical trial. Medicine, v. 98, n. 6, e14391, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000014391
VALLE, R. T.; GROSSMANN, E.; FERNANDES, R. S. M. Disfunções temporomandibulares: abordagem clínica. 1. ed. Nova Odessa, SP: Napoleão, 2015.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lara Fernanda Carlos Lima, Wállyson Alves e Silva, Luciene de Moura Alves Gomes, Samira Rego Martins De Deus Leal, Lucielma Salmito Soares Pinto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits the sharing of the work with proper acknowledgment of authorship and initial publication in this journal;
Authors are authorized to enter into separate, additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (e.g., posting in an institutional repository or publishing it as a book chapter), provided that authorship and initial publication in this journal are properly acknowledged, and that the work is adapted to the template of the respective repository;
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post and distribute their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their personal websites) at any point before or during the editorial process, as this may lead to productive exchanges and increase the impact and citation of the published work (see The Effect of Open Access);
Authors are responsible for correctly providing their personal information, including name, keywords, abstracts, and other relevant data, thereby defining how they wish to be cited. The journal’s editorial board is not responsible for any errors or inconsistencies in these records.
PRIVACY POLICY
The names and email addresses provided to this journal will be used exclusively for the purposes of this publication and will not be made available for any other purpose or to third parties.
Note: All content of the work is the sole responsibility of the author and the advisor.
