ADOLESCENTS WITH TMD PAIN, IN SEARCH OF A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to acquire a deeper understanding of adolescents’ experiences of living with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain. Method: Twenty-one adolescents with TMD pain, aged 15 to 19, were strategically selected from a group of patients referred to an orofacial pain clinic. The patients were examined and received diagnoses per the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. One-on-one interviews that followed a semi-structured protocol focused on the patient’s experiences of living with TMD pain. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, followed by content analysis to get at a deeper understanding of adolescents’ experiences living with TMD pain. Results: The content analysis led to the overall theme “Adolescents with TMD live in constant pain; physical problems and daily demands form a vicious circle that causes adolescents to oscillate between hope and despondency”. The manifest content forming the theme consisted of three categories that evolved from 13 subcategories. For instance, five subcategories - headache; headache on wake-up; jaw and tooth pain; constant thoughts of pain; and popping, cracking, clicking, and locking - evolved into the Pain is constantly present category. The meaning of this category was that the adolescents constantly thought about the pain, even when it was absent. Conclusion: TMD pain is a substantial problem for affected adolescents and has consequences for their whole life. In this study, the adolescents were able to talk openly and introduce issues outside of the interview protocol. Qualitative analysis deepens our understanding of the adolescent patient with pain, thus making more individualized support and treatment possible.