Temporomandibular disorders-related symptoms and associated comorbidities in children and adolescents: A BigMouth data repository cross-sectional study

Background The systemic and psychosocial associations of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in youth are poorly defined. This study assessed distribution of TMD-related symptoms by age and sex and examined associations with comorbidities in children and adolescents from multiple academic centers.Methods Data from BigMouth repository (01/2014–05/2025) included 5-to-17-year-old children and adolescents with completed TMD-related intake items. Painful TMD was defined as self-reported pain upon chewing/talking/jaw use. Symptom distribution was compared by age and sex; associations with comorbidities were assessed using chi-square and multivariable logistic regression.Results Among 13,678 children and adolescents (12.9±3.5 years, 53.1% female), common symptoms included grinding (13.1%), headaches (11.3%), and temporomandibular joint noises (8.2%). Adolescents (10–17 years) more frequently reported painful TMD (4.2% vs. 2.7%, p