IMPAIRED MASTICATORY FUNCTION AND TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DYSFUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN

Aim: This study has been conducted for the purpose of investigating the prevalence of TMDs clinical signs and their association with impaired masticatory function, because of dental caries and loss of primary and/or permanent molars in children.
Subjects and Methods: The study has implicated (234) children, their ages have ranged from six to nine years, they have been randomly selected, divided into two groups based on their dental status. Group I: (n= 115) has included unilateral or bilateral advanced dental caries of primary and/or permanent molars. Whereas the group II: (n=119) has consisted of unilateral or bilateral premature loss of primary teeth and/or loss of permanent molars because of dental caries. The patients have been assessed in order that the clinical signs of TMDs could be evaluated through a physical examination .
The results: Among all subjects, 77 (32.9%) have been identified as TMD patients, comprising of 36 (31.3%) patients of the group I, 41 (34.5%) patients of the group II. At the present study, the relationship between the clinical signs of TMD in both groups has been statistically insignificant, except for a maximum mouth opening.
Conclusion: Relying on the findings of study on Egyptian dental patients, at ages of 6-9 years old, it has been concluded that more than 30% of the patients whom they have experienced dental caries or premature loss of primary molar and/or loss of permanent molars have clinical signs of TMD.