Changes in subjective symptoms of craniomandibular disorders in children and adolescents during a 10-year period.

An epidemiologic sample of 293 subjects in three age groups, now 17, 21, and 25 years of age, were followed longitudinally with respect to symptoms of craniomandibular dysfunction during a 10-year period. Reports of one or more such symptoms increased in all three age groups during the 10 years. At the follow-up, 1 in 3 individuals in all three groups had noticed such symptoms occasionally and 10% had them frequently. Reports of oral parafunctions such as bruxing and clenching also increased, while other parafunctions such as nail, lip, cheek, and tongue biting increased from the age of 7 to 11 but then decreased with age. Despite the high incidence of subjective symptoms of craniomandibular disorders, only a few subjects had had any kind of functional treatment performed during the 10-year period, and only 7 had an actual demand for treatment at present.