The state of dentists’ knowledge about the relationship between temporomandibular disorders and Lyme disease symptoms

Introduction
Dentists may be the first to whom the patient with Lyme disease (LD) reports symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). For this reason, it is important that dentists should be aware of the relationship between LD and TMD.

Objectives
Aim of this study was to assess dentists’ knowledge about the relationship between LD and TMD.

Material and methods
A group of 201 dentists participating in the project were volunteers, who came from randomly selected dental offices. All the participants anonymously completed a questionnaire, in which they were asked three questions concerning TMD and LD.

Results
Among dentists, 81.1% agreed that LD symptoms could mimic TMD, and 81.1% of the respondents thought that fluctuating pain in the area of temporomandibular joint and/or myofascial muscles imitate TMD. Among participants, 37.8% indicated limited mouth opening, whereas 19.4% of respondents marked sounds as symptoms. There was a significant relationship (p < 0.05) between those dentists who knew that LD symptoms can mimic TMD, as they considered the possibility of Lyme disease more often than others.

Conclusions
The results of this study indicate that dentists’ knowledge of tick and tick-borne diseases is sufficient, and it would be a relevant public health strategy as it could reduce the risk of unnecessary TMD treatment for patients suffering from LD.