Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the audiological status of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients with otological symptoms and to make comparisons with that of a control group of subjects without TMD and otological symptoms.
Methods: 25 TMD patients with otological symptoms and 20 age and gender matched controls, 45 subjects in total, were included in the study. All subjects underwent a series of audiological tests that included pure-tone audiometry, impedance test and reflex tympanometry. The audiological parameters recorded in the two groups were compared statistically by means of unpaired t tests and corrected according to Bonferroni in the case of repeated tests.
Results: The pure-tone thresholds at frequencies 125, 250, 500Hz, and 6kHz showed significant differences between the TMD patients and control subjects after the Bonferroni correction (p<0.007). Compliance peaks demonstrated significant differences when the TMD and control groups were compared (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The findings indicate that TMD patients with otological complaints have hearing impairment at low frequencies and also perhaps, at high frequencies.