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Summary

Background. The importance of psychosocial factors in the etiopathogenesis of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) has led to the hypothesis that these disorders may be part of a wider group of somatoform disorders, the functional somatic syndromes (FSS).

Types of studies reviewed. The present paper is an overview summarizing the current concepts on the TMD-FSS relationship. A non-systematic search in the Medline database identified peer-reviewed papers on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the complex groups of disorders labelled functional somatic syndromes, focusing on the common features to temporomandibular disorders patients.

Results. Literature data suggest that FSS and TMD share many etiopathogenetic and epidemiological features, both groups of disorders having a multifactorial etiopathogenesis and needing a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment. Psychosocial characteristics of patients seem to have many similarities and the prevalence of Axis I psychiatric disorders is elevated. The majority of studies focused on the relationship between TMD and fibromyalgia (FM), due to the high rate of orofacial involvement related to FM.

Clinical implications. The presence of common features between TMD and FSS patient may suggest the need for changes in the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to TMD patients, with the introduction of treatment protocols which also address the psychosocial impairment accompanying TMD symptoms, in order to overcome the limits of traditional therapies.

Key words: temporomandibular disorders; functional somatic syndromes; somatoform disorders; epidemiology; fibromaylgia; clinical features.

Received: 04 02 2007

Accepted for publishing: 29 03 2007

¹Section of Prosthetic Dentistry, Department of Neuroscience, University of Pisa, Italy

²Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Padova, Italy

Francesco Fantoni¹ – D.D.S., research fellow

Giovanni Salvetti¹ – D.D.S., research fellow

Daniele Manfredini² – D.D.S., visiting professor in craniomandibular disorders

Mario Bosco¹ – D.D.S., professor in prosthetic dentistry

Address correspondence to: Dr. Daniele Manfredini, V.le XX Settembre 298, 54036 Marina di Carrara (MS), Italy.

E-mail: daniele.manfredini@tin.it



	Baltic Dental and Maxillofacial Journal

March, 2007, Vol. 9, No. 1 CONTENTS SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES Current concepts on the functional somatic syndromes and temporomandibular disorders 3-9 General health of dentists. Literature review 10-20 A pilot study of Er,Cr:YSGG laser therapy used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in patients with early and moderate periodontitis 21-26 A three-dimensional model of the human masticatory system, including the mandible, the dentition and the temporomandibular joints 27-32 © 2007 Stomatologija		Stomatologija 2007; 9 (1): 3-9 176 KB Current concepts on the functional somatic syndromes and temporomandibular disorders Francesco Fantoni, Giovanni Salvetti, Daniele Manfredini, Mario Bosco Summary Background. The importance of psychosocial factors in the etiopathogenesis of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) has led to the hypothesis that these disorders may be part of a wider group of somatoform disorders, the functional somatic syndromes (FSS). Types of studies reviewed. The present paper is an overview summarizing the current concepts on the TMD-FSS relationship. A non-systematic search in the Medline database identified peer-reviewed papers on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the complex groups of disorders labelled functional somatic syndromes, focusing on the common features to temporomandibular disorders patients. Results. Literature data suggest that FSS and TMD share many etiopathogenetic and epidemiological features, both groups of disorders having a multifactorial etiopathogenesis and needing a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment. Psychosocial characteristics of patients seem to have many similarities and the prevalence of Axis I psychiatric disorders is elevated. The majority of studies focused on the relationship between TMD and fibromyalgia (FM), due to the high rate of orofacial involvement related to FM. Clinical implications. The presence of common features between TMD and FSS patient may suggest the need for changes in the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to TMD patients, with the introduction of treatment protocols which also address the psychosocial impairment accompanying TMD symptoms, in order to overcome the limits of traditional therapies. Key words: temporomandibular disorders; functional somatic syndromes; somatoform disorders; epidemiology; fibromaylgia; clinical features. Received: 04 02 2007 Accepted for publishing: 29 03 2007 ¹Section of Prosthetic Dentistry, Department of Neuroscience, University of Pisa, Italy ²Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Padova, Italy Francesco Fantoni¹ – D.D.S., research fellow Giovanni Salvetti¹ – D.D.S., research fellow Daniele Manfredini² – D.D.S., visiting professor in craniomandibular disorders Mario Bosco¹ – D.D.S., professor in prosthetic dentistry Address correspondence to: Dr. Daniele Manfredini, V.le XX Settembre 298, 54036 Marina di Carrara (MS), Italy. E-mail: daniele.manfredini@tin.it