The Impact of Chronic Temporomandibular Disorders on Fatigue and Daily Life: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study
Bibliographic record
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) affect a notable portion of the population, with a prevalence of 5% to 12%. These conditions often lead individuals to adopt a soft-food diet to manage pain, but such dietary adjustments can inadvertently cause nutritional deficiencies. This issue may be compounded by medications used to manage TMD symptoms, which can contribute to fatigue and reduced daily functioning. In addition, TMD encompasses not only pain but also functional disorders, such as joint locking, which can further affect the individual's quality of life. AIM: This study aimed to delve into the lived experiences of individuals with chronic TMDs, focusing specifically on how their condition affected their daily activities including dietary habits and interactions within social settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) with semi-structured interviews with participants referred from specialists in Montreal, Canada, who were diagnosed with TMDs for at least 6 mo. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed to uncover the nuanced challenges faced by individuals living with TMDs. RESULTS: Six participants were interviewed. The thematic analysis identified 4 main themes: (1) limited functioning and energy levels highlighting fatigue and frustration by TMDs; (2) communication challenges due to pain, affecting professional roles and social interactions; (3) impact on social and professional life necessitating adjustments and accommodations; and (4) seeking medical assistance such as medications and physiotherapy, reflecting proactive approaches to managing TMDs' symptoms. DISCUSSION: The findings demonstrated the wide effects and complex needs of individuals enduring chronic TMD. These effects attributed to TMD medications causing fatigue and impairing daily activity levels suggest a need for comprehensive care approaches that address both physical and psychological dimensions. CONCLUSION: The multifaceted effects of chronic TMDs on individuals' lives highlighted the necessity for integrated health care approaches that address diverse aspects of well-being. By incorporating patient perspectives and experiences into clinical practice, health care providers can enhance treatment outcomes and quality of life for TMDs' patients.Knowledge Transfer Statement:This study highlighted the daily challenges faced by individuals with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), emphasizing the importance of tailored interventions to improve their quality of life. These insights can inform health care providers in developing holistic approaches to address the multifaceted needs of TMD patients, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.006 | 0.007 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.002 | 0.002 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.011 | 0.010 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.004 | 0.003 |
| Open science | 0.002 | 0.005 |
| Research integrity | 0.001 | 0.002 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.003 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".