Correlations between occlusal changes and musculoskeletal manifestations in pa-tients with temporo-mandibular dysfunction versus patients without temporo-mandibular dysfunction

Abstract

Aims. The aim of this paper was to assess the occlusal characteristics of a sample of pa-tients with temporomandibular dysfunction. Materials and methods. 40 patients were included in this study, divided into two groups: in the first group, 20 patients were recruited from a private clinic in Cluj-Napoca all of them being diagnosed with temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD); the second group – the control group – included 20 subjects, chosen randomly, in the Department of Pros-thodontics, Faculty of Dentistry. The inclusion criteria for the first group were: patients with TMD signs and symptoms, no history of trauma, no other organic sources of pain, no associated neuro-muscular diseases. The inclusion criteria for the control group were: clinically healthy patients, no history of trauma, no general history of disease with interest in the structures of the dento-maxillary apparatus, no orthognathic surgery and no ongo-ing orthodontic or prosthodontic treatment. Patients were examined clinically and the data obtained were statistically analyzed. Results. Statistical analysis revealed several significant results, such as the fact that sub-jects with TMDs had more frequent muscle pain (p = 0.018) and joint pain (p = 0.004). Al-so, for patients suffering from disc displacements without reduction, the presence of pas-sive interference in protrusion was observed more often (p = 0.049), and for those with disc displacements with reduction, passive interference in laterality was more frequent (p = 0.010). Discussion. In the present study, interferences in maximum intercuspation (MI) and pas-sive interferences in protrusion were found more frequently in the group of subjects with TMDs, which is consistent with the results in the literature. For subjects with disc dis-placements, significant differences were found between those disc displacements with reduction and, respectively, without reduction, regarding the passive interference in later-ality and passive interference in protrusion, which may be due to the change of position of the articular disc and the trajectory of condylar movement during performing mandibu-lar movements. Conclusions. No correlation has been shown between a certain type of occlusal dys-function and a certain symptom of temporomandibular dysfunction. There are subjects who have occlusal dysfunctions without showing dysfunctional symptoms. Malocclu-sions may be correlated with dysfunctional signs.

Keywords

• temporo-mandibular disfunction
• disc displacement with reduction
• disc displacement without reduction