Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) are characterized by their multifactorial etiology and pathogenesis. A 3-year prospective study was conducted in a Portuguese TMD department to study the prevalence of different TMD signs and symptoms and their association with risk factors and comorbidities. Five hundred ninety-five patients were included using an online database: EUROTMJ. Most patients were female (80.50 %), with a mean age of 38.20±15.73 years. The main complaints were temporomandibular joint (TMJ) clicking (13.26%), pain (12.49%), and masticatory muscle tension (12.15%). The main clinical findings were myalgia (74%), TMJ clicking (60-62%) and arthralgia (31-36%). Risk factors such as clenching (60%) and bruxism (30%) were positively associated with TMJ pain and myalgia. Orthodontic treatment (20%) and wisdom tooth removal (19%) were positively associated with TMJ clicking, while jaw trauma (6%) tracheal intubation (4%) and orthognathic surgery (1%) were positively associated with TMJ crepitus, limited man-dibular range of motion and TMJ pain, respectively. 42.88% of TMD patients had other associated chronic diseases, most of them were mental behavioral or neurodevelopmental disorders (33.76%), namely, anxiety (20%) and depression (13%). The authors also observed a positively association of mental disorders with the degree of TMJ pain and myalgia. Online database seems to be a relevant scientific instrument for healthcare providers who treat TMD. The authors expect that EUROTMJ database can serve as a milestone for other TMD departments.

The aim of this article was to evaluate properties of new polymer material, based on PEEK, for FPDs in patients with parafunctions. Methods: Prospective clinical study involved patients with diagnosed signs and symptoms of parafunctions, restored with 100 units, PEEK based FPDs, veneered with composite material. During one year observation period the following parameters were evaluated: color changes, periodontal indices, treatment success using FDI criteria, occlusal parameters, patient-reported outcome measures (OHIP-49) and occurrence of complications. Results: Spectrophotometry revealed that 63% of bridges experienced changes for L*, a*, b* color parameters, but it was not clinically significant for patients. Periodontal indices (PI, GI, BOP) revealed statistically significant higher values around restorations. According to FDI criteria, therapy was considered successful and 86.7% of FPDs were acceptable. Computerized occlusal analysis demonstrated no significant difference in the number of occlusal contacts and the intensity of relative forces between restoration and control side. Results of OHIP-49 questionnaire showed improved patient’s quality of life. Complications appeared in a limited number of cases. Conclusion: PEEK based FPDs could be indicated for successful prosthodontic rehabilitation in patients with parafunctional activities, but further material improvements and long-term clinical trials should be conducted to analyze performance of this material in challenging cases, for patients with CMD and in implant therapy.