Background:
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and headaches (HA) are conditions that often coexist in patients. HA could be related to functional disorders and, at the same time it is often idiopathic.

Aim of study:
To determine the cooccurrence of HA and TMD in adolescents in the same age group. The study group was free of systemic diseases, which can help predict future treatment needs. Another aim was to inform patients about treatment options of the initial problems with TMJ disorders.

Material and methods:
A group of 259 volunteers (192 females and 67 males) were examined. The participants were aged between 16.7 and 19.3 years. The mean age was 17.9 years (SD 0.57). The functional disorders were classified using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/ TMD). To determine the occurrence of HA, the questionnaire of Slaviček was used. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the co-existence of HA and symptoms of TMD, such as facial pain, pain in the temporomandibular region, and muscle spasm.

Results:
Fifteen participants (5.79%) (group II of RDC/TMD) were diagnosed with a painless form of TMD, while 54 volunteers (20.85%) (group I or III) were diagnosed with pain-related TMD. Facial pain was reported by 22 subjects with functional disorders. Those diagnosed with TMD suffered from HA with statistically higher frequency (p<0.001). This problem was more common among females.

Conclusions:
The correlation between HA and TMD in adolescents was thus confirmed, with females being more frequently affected.