Aspects of Dental Occlusion in Young University Students with Temporomandibular Dysfunction

Background/Objectives: Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) has a multifactorial aetiology, and the contribution of dental occlusion remains controversial. The objectives of the study were to estimate the proportion of students at the Faculty of Dentistry in Craiova with Fonseca Anamnestic Index (FAI) scores suggestive of TMD-related manifestations and to highlight possible associations between dental occlusion and FAI scores in a selected subset. Methods: A total of 106 students completed the Romanian version of the FAI. Three participants declined further participation after completing the questionnaire and before FAI scoring; their responses were not scored. The remaining 103 questionnaires were included in the FAI analysis. Following the screening, a study group of 20 students was selected from the upper end of the recorded score distribution, and a control group of 20 was selected from the lower end; 17 controls scored zero and three scored five. Static and dynamic occlusal parameters were assessed with T-Scan III where valid recordings were available. Between-group comparisons and Spearman correlations were performed, with Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate adjustment within defined exploratory test families. Results: The study showed that 43 of 103 students (41.75%) had FAI scores suggestive of TMD-related manifestations after the discrepant totals had been reconciled with the source questionnaires. In the selected groups, maximum intercuspation occlusion time (p < 0.001; q = 0.015), protrusive disclusion time (p = 0.003; q = 0.020), and active premature contacts during right and left lateral excursions (both p = 0.002; q = 0.015) differed after adjustment. Conclusions: Occlusal assessment with the T-Scan III System showed that differences between the selected study and control groups were more evident for dynamic parameters than for static occlusal-force distribution. The FAI does not establish a clinical TMD diagnosis, and the exploratory cross-sectional design does not support causal or therapeutic conclusions.