Abstract
Background
Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) is a group of conditions that affect between 5-12% of the population, significantly impacting their quality of life. Digital palpation is frequently used to obtain a diagnosis in patients with TMD, by applying 1 kg pressure to the masseter and temporalis muscles involved in mastication.
Aims
Our aim for the study was to determine how reliable men are at digital palpation using three distinct methods for palpation and which could be the optimal method for male dental practitioners. We also wanted to see if the gender of the instructors could influence the results of the participants.
Material & Methods
Fourty male volunteers lacking prior experience were recruited for the study. The three methods used were palpation with palpometer, digital palpation with index finger, and digital palpation with visual guidance. These methods were used for applying pressure on a standardized algometer in a randomized order.
Results
The total data collection included 720 palpation attempts. The mean pressure (kPa) and (standard deviation) for palpation with palpometer was 1.16 (0.21), for digital palpation with index finger 1.30 (0.53), and digital palpation with visual guidance 1.20 (0.52).
Conclusion
On average the participants applied pressure exceeding the desired amount by 27% (1.27 kPa) which can potentially influence diagnosis. Palpation with palpometer had the least pressure variability. We could not determine whether the gender of the instructor was the determining factor between the difference in results between the separate groups of participants.