Temporomandibular joint dysfunction in 9 to 14 year old patients programmed for orthodontic treatment

Resumen

This study was carried out  at the Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez (Federico Gomez Mexico Children s Hospital). The purpose of the study was to know and assess the relationship between functional and occlusal characteristics with temporomandibular joint dysfunction. (TMD). These characteristics can be trauma history,  discrepancy between occlusion and centric relation (OC/CR), type of dentition (mixed or permanent), onychophagia,  finger sucking, oligophagia and lingual projection. All these factors have to be taken into account before initiating orthodontic treatment.

Data were collected from 150 patients  of the Orthodontics Department of the  Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez ( Mexico 's Children' s Hospital Federico Gomez)). 54.3% of the patients were female and 41.6%  male. The average age in these patients was 12.2 years . 78.8% of the patients presented midline deviation, 25.2%  were afflicted with anterior crossbite, and 27.8% showed posterior crossbite. 59.6% of the patients had permanent dentition, 40.4% presented mixed dentition. 86.8% had received previous dental treatment. 41.1% presented molar Class I, 33.3% Class II  and 25.8% Class III. 18% of patients had history of some facial trauma. 7% presented a discrepancy between OC and CR larger than 2 mm. 27.2% and 11.3% respectively presented pain and articular sounds in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Finger sucking habits were present in 7.9% of the sample population, and finally 2% of the patients presented bruxism. In the logistics regression model the statistically more significant variables were the finger sucking habit and posterior crossbite.