Self-medication in patients with temporomandibular disorders
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14295/bds.2014.v17i4.1051Abstract
Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) are a set of painful and / or functional clinical problems that affect the joints and / or muscles of the orofacial region. The practice of self-medication, defined as the consumption of unprescribed drugs, is explained in most TMD patient cases by the occurrence of constant pain, producing discomfort and fatigue, while performing essential functions such as chewing, speaking, and swallowing, causing a drop in the quality of life of patients who have this disorder. Because of this, many see medication as a quick and sufficient means of addressing the problem of pain, and do not seek help from a professional. This study therefore aimed to evaluate, through guided interviews, the practice of self-medication in patients with temporomandibular disorder. The researchers interviewed 115 patients who were referred for treatment at the Diagnosis and Treatment Service for Patients with Temporomandibular Disorder (TMJ Service), School of Dentistry, Federal University of Juiz de Fora. In the sample studied there was a high prevalence of self-medication among the patients interviewed, of whom 71.3% used medication without a prescription, with a majority being female (84.14%). Headache was the main complaint reported by patients who self-medicated (39.53%), analgesics the most used drug class (58.13%), and most of the pain relief drugs were acquired through old prescriptions (40.25%). Thus, this work emphasizes the importance of guiding the patient and the professional regarding this practice.
Downloads
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Brazilian Dental Science uses the Creative Commons (CC-BY 4.0) license, thus preserving the integrity of articles in an open access environment. The journal allows the author to retain publishing rights without restrictions.
=================
COPYRIGHT TRANSFER AND RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
(PDF)
For all articles published in the BDS journal, copyright is retained by the authors. Articles are licensed under an open-access Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, meaning that anyone may download and read the paper for free. In addition, the article may be reused and quoted, provided that the original published version is cited. These conditions allow for maximum use and exposure of the work while ensuring that the authors receive proper credit. All metadata associated with published articles is released under the Creative Commons CC0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
Before the submission, authors must obtain permission to reproduce any published material (figures, schemes, tables, or any extract of a text) that does not fall into the public domain or for which they do not hold the copyright. Permission should be requested by the authors from the copyright holder (usually the Publisher, please refer to the imprint of the individual publications to identify the copyright holder).
The authors hereby attest that the study is original and does not present manipulated data, fraud, or plagiarism. All names listed made a significant scientific contribution to the study, are aware of the presented data, and agree with the final version of the manuscript. They assume complete responsibility for the ethical aspects of the study.
This text must be printed and signed by all authors. The scanned version should be submitted as supplemental file during the submission process.