Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between sleep quality, depression, anxiety and stress levels, and the frequency of temporomandibular disorders in a sample of Turkish dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted with 699 dental university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used in the present study.
Results: The incidence of temporomandibular joint disorders in the present study was found to be 77.5%. Female students' FAI scores were found to be statistically significantly higher than males (p < 0.05). Additionally, higher depression and anxiety and stress levels caused increased PSQI and FAI scores.
Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased temporomandibular joint disorders were observed with increased impaired sleep quality and higher depression, anxiety and stress levels among dental university students.
Keywords: COVID-19; depression; pandemics; sleep; temporomandibular joint disorders.