J Orofac Pain
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To describe patients' daily coping with the pain of chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMD), the conservative treatment received, and the self-care strategies used, and to examine the relationships between these strategies and daily pain intensity, activity interference, and jaw use limitations. ⋯ TMD clinic patients use a variety of treatment, self-care, and coping strategies to contend with daily pain. Inquiring about a broad range of strategies might help clinicians better understand how individual patients approach pain management. Research is needed to examine whether decreasing activity reduction and emotional support coping results in improved outcomes.
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To estimate the prevalence and pattern of self-reported orofacial pain symptoms and treatment-seeking behavior in adult Cantonese-speaking Chinese people in Hong Kong. ⋯ Orofacial pain symptoms appear to affect more than a quarter of the adult population in Hong Kong, and prevalence estimates were consistent with those in Western countries. A substantial proportion of the pain symptoms were frequent and of moderate to severe intensity, with the potential for significant morbidity. Professional treatment seeking was very low and may be related to specific pain behaviors and effective coping strategies in this ethnic group.
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To evaluate the risk of self-reported temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain among adolescents in relation to previous head and/or neck injury. ⋯ The results suggest a modest association of prior head injuries with both self-reported and clinically diagnosed TMD pain in adolescents.
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To investigate the degree and duration of neuronal hyperexcitability due to local inflammatory trauma after surgical removal of an impacted mandibular third molar. ⋯ These results indicate that even a minor surgical procedure in the orofacial region may be sufficient to evoke hyperexcitability in an area adjacent to the surgical wound for up to 30 days. The decreased adaptive capacity in the patient group also suggests the involvement of central pain-regulatory mechanisms in response to the surgical trauma.
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To study the age- and gender-related prevalence of signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in the Finnish adult population. ⋯ Signs of TMD may be more common among the elderly than is usually reported.