Association of stress with temporomandibular disorder in Indonesian Air Force Pilots

Indonesian Air Force pilots have a high stress profession. Fighter pilots experience high g-force due to constant changes in the aviation environment making them vulnerable to temporomandibular disorder (TMD). The association of stress, bruxism and tooth wear with TMD, among the Indonesian Air Force pilots unclear. This study analyzed the association of stress, bruxism and tooth wear with TMD among transport and fighter Indonesian Air Force pilots. This cross-sectional study assessed data of 50 transport and 50 fighter Indonesian Air Force pilots. Subjects underwent clinical examination using the Axis I DC/TMD form for TMD diagnosis and for estimating the extent of the tooth wear. Next, each subject was asked to fill the bruxism questionnaire from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Emotional Stress Questionnaire from the TMD etiology index. Mann Whitney test revealed significant differences in the association of stress with TMD p= 0.018 vs. p= 0.010; bruxism with TMD p= 0.000 vs. p= 0.000; tooth wear with TMD p= 0.000 vs. p= 0.000 among the transport and fighter pilots. Stress, bruxism, and tooth wear were associated with TMD in the transport and fighter Indonesian Air Force pilots.