Volume 24 - Issue 4

The dental Mount St. Helens is rumbling again. Controversy prevails and is making us even more divided. The April “Journal of the American Dental Association” (JADA) article on occlusion1 quotes a prominent editor of an orthodontic journal as stating “. . . neuromuscular school tells us that there is a range of acceptable positions (centric) . . . If we clinicians continue to place emphasis on establishing harmony between centric occlusion and some mythical centric relation, we are doing ourselves a ...

Twenty-five years ago the CRANIO Journal was just a small bright developing idea in my brain. As I drove with my wife to East Lansing, Michigan to study with a joint meeting of the American Association of Dental Editors (AADE) and their journalism faculty at Michigan State University.
“Why do you want to start a TMJ journal?” I was asked. “What do you expect to do differently to attract readership that other traditional journals are ...

This study investigated the immediate effect of changing mandibular position on the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the masseter (MS), temporalis (TM), sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and trapezius (TR) muscles. Thirty-three (33) asymptomatic subjects (16 males and 17 females), ages 23 to 52 were selected. Surface EMG recordings were obtained for all muscles bilaterally with the mandible in a relaxed open position (relaxed) and during maximal voluntary clenching (fullbite) for the following: a non-repositioning appliance (NONREPOS) and repositioning ...

Facial pain has been considered a common symptom of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) with a multifactorial etiology. There is controversy regarding the role of occlusion in the background of facial pain and TMD. The aim of the study was to compare the occlusal relationships with two definite measurements in subjects with and without facial pain, in a population-based sample of young adults. The study is part of the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort Project. A subsample ...

This study tested the hypothesis that individuals show considerable variability in EMG activity produced by the masticatory muscles when they are instructed to clench than when they are instructed to make minimal or maximal contact. Twenty individuals without temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain participated in a biofeedback-training task to establish a relaxed baseline. They were instructed to clench their teeth according to their personal definition of the term, while EMG data were collected. This process was ...

The objective of the present study was to test a protocol for the quantification of the frequency and severity of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) according to patient perception during two phases of investigation. The protocol was developed based on the signs and symptoms most frequently reported in the literature and on the circumstances in which they produce discomfort. Eighty-four patients diagnosed with TMD by functional examination of the masticatory system responded to ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) treatment giving priority to oral stability, i.e. creating stability for the mandible in the individual retruded position of the mandible (RPM), focusing condylar asymmetry. Twenty-nine (29) patients treated for TMD participated in the study. A standardized TMD examination was executed originally and an identical examination was performed at the follow-up in a private TMD practice. In general, the patients ...

Kinesiography can be used as a diagnostic tool in a dental clinic context. In the current  study, a kinesiograph was used to detect and record the three-dimensional motion of the mandibular mid-incisor point during unilateral chewing as a function of time. The aim of the study was to quantify the within-subject short-term reproducibility of the kinesiographic recordings in normal, healthy subjects. Ten seconds of unilateral (right and left) gum chewing were recorded in 20 control ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome of a series of consecutive patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) who were treated with manual physical therapy interventions and exercise. Consecutive patients with the clinical presentation of TMD completed several self-report measures and underwent a standardized historical and physical examination. Following the examination, patients received a multimodal treatment approach incorporating manual physical therapy and exercise. All self-report questionnaires were completed at a 2-week follow-up. Paired ...

A variety of problems involving the masticatory system can be partially attributed to parafunctional habits such as bruxism. These include occlusal trauma, abfractions, tooth migration, as well as temporomandibular dysfunction. Since bruxism is considered a contributing factor to the above-mentioned dental problems, it is essential to consider parafunctional habits in the diagnosis and treatment planning before doing any occlusal reconstruction. However, the problem lies in the lack or absence of a simple device or gauge ...

This case report relates the association between a rare neuralgiform syndrome (SUNCT) and masticatory myofascial pain (TMD); two different diseases with different diagnosis criteria and treatments. SUNCT syndrome was treated with a balloon microcompression procedure of the trigeminal ganglion, and the myofascial pain with injections and physical therapy. The patient was without pain at a twelve-month follow-up evaluation.