KNOWLEDGE OF PROFESSIONALS ABOUT TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DYSFUNCTION: A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Introduction: Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is defined as a set of disorders involving masticatory muscles, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and associated structures. Due to the multifactorial etiology, it requires a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach, through a team formed by several specialists. Objective: To report the experience of the construction process of the pilot questionnaire: The knowledge of physiotherapists, speech therapists and dentists in the state of Sergipe about the treatment of TMDs.Methods: This is a descriptive exploratory study of a qualitative nature, carried out with a group of judges to validate the instrument's content. This was carried out in four steps: I- Creation of the pilot questionnaire; II- Recruitment of judges; III- Considerations of the judges and; IV- Correction and completion of the questionnaire. The analysis of the considerations proposed by the evaluators were carried out by the research team, in order to assess the consistency between comments and suggestions. Results: The suggestions considered relevant to the research objective were analyzed and adopted, taking into account the contributions of 4 evaluators who joined the research. Therefore, the questionnaire underwent modifications and its final version had 16 questions, which were related to personal and professional data and knowledge about the diagnosis, treatment and multidisciplinary work in TMD. Conclusion: After the suggestions made by the selected evaluators, it is concluded that the questionnaire became clearer and more relevant for self-application and it is now ready to be sent to physiotherapy, speech therapy and dentistry professionals linked to their respective regional councils of state of Sergipe.