Assessment of the severity of temporomandibular disorders in females: Validity and reliability of the Fonseca anamnestic index

Objective: To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Fonseca anamnestic index (FAI) over time in Turkish females. Methods: Four hundred-fourteen patients who visited the otorhinolaryngology clinic were initially included in the study between January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2019. The Turkish version of the FAI is a self-report instrument that was completed by all of the patients after a brief explanation from the clinician. Cronbach's alpha was calculated using data from the first questionnaire. Results: The results of the first assessment showed 243 patients had no TMD (58.7%), 40 had mild TMD (9.7%), 87 had moderate TMD (21%), and 44 had severe TMD (10.6%). At the second assessment, the respective values were 243 (58.7%), 37 (8.9%), 98 (23.7%), and 36 (8.7%). The internal consistency of the first test was high. Conclusion: The FAI can be used to collect a large amount of data easily, at minimal cost.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Fonseca anamnestic index (FAI) in Turkish females, finding that FAI can be used as a convenient and cost-effective tool to collect a large amount of data.