Relationship Between Temporomandibular Disorders, Anxiety, and Sleep Quality in Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background This study aimed to measure the frequencies of stress, anxiety, sleep quality, and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) among dental students and evaluate their relationships. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among dentistry students studying at dental schools in Turkey. Participating students were administered a survey consisting of the Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI) to evaluate TMD; the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-21 to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress; and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to evaluate sleep quality. Analysis methods included descriptive statistics, the Kruskall–Wallis H test, the Mann–Whitney U Test, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results This survey included 1162 dental students, including 824 (70.91%) females, 333 (28.66%) males, and 5 (0.43%) LGBTIQA + individuals. The FAI (p < 0.001) and DASS-21 anxiety (p < 0.001) and stress (p < 0.007) scores were significantly higher in females than males. The global PSQI scores were significantly higher in males than females (p < 0.007). The FAI scores (p < 0.001); DASS-21 depression (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001), and stress (p < 0.001) scores; and global PSQI scores (p = 0.002) differed significantly by grade. Conclusions Stress, anxiety, and depression contribute to the development of TMD. Females experience greater TMD, stress, anxiety, and depression during their education life, while males have a worse sleep quality. TMD, anxiety, depression, and stress levels are lowest at the start of the training and increase over the years as theoretical and practical training progresses.