EC Dental Science

Aim of Investigation: To confirm the relationship between TMD and hormonal levels in young females.

Methods: The authors, including a health sciences librarian, developed a systematic literature review. The databases search included PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) and Web of Science CINAHL. The searches retrieved articles on TMD and hormones with a population focus on adults. Searches included a language limit of English-only results and articles published from 2000 forward. Three individuals screened the results for reliability and to reduce potential bias related to inclusion of results.

Search items: hormones-estrogen-progesterone-TMD-pain-estradiol.

Results: The search yielded 518 results with 438 screened after removal of duplication. Sixty-nine results were screened based upon title and abstract. A total of 10 articles are included in this review.

Summary of the included articles:

• Estrogen levels has no influence on TMD [13].
• Lower progesterone in the luteal phase causing TMD [13].
• Estrogen and progesterone do not impact TMD [14].
• Higher estrogen during the follicular phase led to more pain in TMD [15].
• Higher serum estradiol produces more TMD pain [16].
• TMD pain in women is highest at times of lowest estrogen, but rapid estrogen change may also be associated with increased pain [17].
• Low circulating serum estradiol makes it impossible for the natural reparative capacity of the condyle, leading to condylar lysis [18].
• TMD Pain levels in women were influenced by hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle [19].

Conclusion: This systematic review confirms that fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone levels might be more significant to TMD pain compared to the specific levels of these hormones.

Keywords: Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD); Estrogen; Progesterone; Estradiol

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