Prevalence of TMD and PTSD symptoms in a military sample

This study examines the relationship between deployment, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) in an active duty sample. Five hundred twenty-two members provided screening information in conjunction with annual dental exams. Persons screening positive for one condition (either PTSD or TMD) are significantly more likely (odds ratio [OR]=4.63 [95% confidence interval=1.56-13.73]) to screen positive for the other condition. Deployment exposure did not predict screening status for either conditions. Females were more likely to screen positive for TMD than were males (OR=3.6). Symptoms of PTSD and TMD were highly related in this sample, but neither related to deployment history.