Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders associated with whiplash injury in Lithuania

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in whiplash victims in Lithuania and compare it with the prevalence in otherwise healthy control subjects. STUDY DESIGN: In a controlled historical cohort study in Lithuania, we asked each of 210 victims of vehicular rear-end collisions (at 14-27 months after the accident) to report the presence and frequency of a number of temporomandibular disorder symptoms. The results were compared with those for an age-matched and gender-matched control group, sampled randomly from the local population. RESULTS: In the accident group, 2.4% of subjects (4/165) reported jaw pain for 1 day or more per month; this compared with 3.3% of the controls (6/180). One (0.6%) of the accident victims and 2 (1.1%) of the controls had daily jaw pain. In both groups there was a low prevalence of jaw sounds, pain in or near the ear(s), jaw locking, tinnitus, and facial pain. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike whiplash claimants in many Western societies, Lithuanian accident victims do not appear to report the chronic symptoms of temporomandibular disorders despite their acute whiplash injuries.