A study of clinical signs and symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction in subjects with normal occlusion, untreated, and treated malocclusions.

In the light of the universally growing concern over the suggested relationship between orthodontic treatment and temporomandibular (TM) dysfunction, the purpose of the present investigation was to compare the status of signs and symptoms of TM disorders in three groups of adolescents and young adults. The groups consisted of 30 persons with normal occlusions, 41 with untreated malocclusions, and 31 with treated malocclusions. The clinical status and subjective symptoms of TM dysfunction were recorded according to the principles introduced by Helkimo. The results showed that the normal occlusion group had the maximum number of persons free from any dysfunction, but the differences between the groups in the distribution of persons according to the anamnestic and clinical dysfunction indices were not significant. The only statistically significant finding was the difference in the clinical dysfunction index scores of the persons with normal occlusions and untreated malocclusions. According to anamnesis, the most frequently reported symptoms were related to periods of stress. Among the clinical signs and symptoms, the most commonly occurring were crepitations on palpation and sounds on auscultation of the joints in all the three groups. In conclusion, the absence of substantial differences between the three groups indicates that the role of orthodontic treatment in either precipitation or prevention of TM dysfunction remains questionable.