The inconclusiveness of research on functional pathologies of the temporomandibular system and body posture: Paths followed, paths ahead: A critical review.

Objective: Literature on the functional pathologies of the temporomandibular system (FPTS) in its relationships with body posture is plagued with inconclusiveness. Despite being sometimes altogether disregarded, the issue is most relevant, due to its clinical implications. This paper aims for a deeper understanding of the origins of the inconclusiveness of research on such relationships by means of a critical analysis of the scientific literature on the subject, in order that clinicians may better treat patients with FPTS.Methods: Analysis of over 100 studies, published from 1918 through March 2018 in the PubMed database, using descriptors temporomandibular joint disorders and posture.Results: The analysis of the paths followed by researchers allowed for pinning down several methodological issues that may have led to the prevailing ambiguity on the matter.Conclusion: This review then proposes certain standardization of procedures in future studies, to be conducted by a proposed consortium of researchers.

Interrelations between orthostatic postural deviations and subjects' age, sex, malocclusion, and specific signs and symptoms of functional pathologies of the temporomandibular system: a preliminary correlation and regression study.

AIMS: Studies on the relationships between postural deviations and the temporomandibular system (TS) functional health are controversial and inconclusive. This study stems from the hypothesis that such inconclusiveness is due to authors considering functional pathologies of the TS (FPTS) as a whole, without taking into account subjects' specific FPTS signs and symptoms. METHODOLOGY: Based on the author and collaborators' previous studies, the present study analyzed data on body posture from a sample of 50 subjects with (30) and without (20) FPTS. Correlation analyses were applied, taking as independent variables age, sex, Helkimo anamnestic, occlusal, and dysfunction indices, as well as FPTS specific signs and symptoms. Postural assessments of the head, cervical spine, shoulders, lumbar spine, and hips were the dependent variables. Linear regression equations were built that proved to partially predict the presence and magnitude of body posture deviations by drawing on subjects' characteristics and specific FPTS symptoms. RESULTS: Determination coefficients for these equations ranged from 0.082 to 0.199 in the univariate, and from 0.121 to 0.502 in the multivariate regression analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Results show that factors intrinsic to the subjects or the TS may potentially interfere in results of studies that analyze relationships between FPTS and body posture. Furthermore, a trend to specificity was found, e.g. the degree of cervical lordosis was found to correlate to age and FPTS degree of severity, suggesting that some TS pathological features, or malocclusion, age or sex, may be more strongly correlated than others with specific posture patterns.

Body posture evaluations in subjects with internal temporomandibular joint derangement.

The aim of this study was to verify possible relationships between global body posture and temporomandibular joint internal derangement (TMJ-id), by comparing 30 subjects presenting typical TMJ-id signs to 20 healthy subjects. Body posture was assessed using the analysis of muscle chains on several photographs. Results show a higher frequency of lifted shoulders (p=0.04) and of changes in the antero-internal hip chain (p=0.02) in the test group, but no further differences were found significant between the control and test groups. The test group was then divided into three subgroups according to the Helkimo index of temporomandibular disorder severity. Again, no significant differences were found between the subgroups. However, there was a trend noticed in the group with the most severe dysfunction, to present a forward head and shoulders posture. Results are discussed in light of previous studies using the same sample.

Evaluation of body posture in individuals with internal temporomandibular joint derangement.

Temporomandibular dysfunctions (TMD) comprise a great number of disruptions that may affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the masticatory muscles, or both. TMJ internal derangement is a specific type of TMD, of which the etiology and physiopathology are broadly unknown, but have been suggested to be linked to head, neck, and body posture factors. This study aimed at verifying possible relationships between body posture and TMJ internal derangements (TMJ-id), by comparing 30 subjects presenting typical TMJ-id signs to 20 healthy subjects. Subjects' clinical evaluations included anamnesis, stomatognatic system evaluation, and plotting analysis on body posture photographs. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups. Results do not support the assertion that body posture plays a role in causing or enhancing TMD; however, these results should be cautiously considered because of the small number of subjects evaluated and the many posture variables submitted to statistical procedures that lead to high standard deviations.

Radiographic evaluation of cervical spine of subjects with temporomandibular joint internal disorder

Apesar de a etiofisiopatologia dos distúrbios internos (DI) da articulação temporomandibular (ATM) ser ainda desconhecida, sugere-se que as posturas de cabeça e corpo estariam associadas a seu desencadeamento, desenvolvimento e sua perpetuação. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a relação entre alterações radiográficas de coluna cervical e distúrbios internos da ATM. Este estudo avaliou 30 indivíduos com distúrbios da ATM (grupo teste) e 20 saudáveis (grupo controle). Os indivíduos submeteram-se à avaliação clínica e radiográfica. A avaliação clínica consistiu de anamnese e exame físico do sistema estomatognático. A avaliação radiográfica consistiu de análise de radiografias laterais de coluna cervical por fisioterapeutas e traçados. O grupo teste apresentou o dobro da prevalência de hiperlordose de coluna cervical (20,7% versus 10,5%) e quase a metade (41,4% versus 79,0%) de retificação (p = 0,03). Em um segundo momento, o grupo teste foi subdividido em três subgrupos em função da gravidade clínica da disfunção temporomandibular, avaliada pelo índice de Helkimo. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os subgrupos, mas se constatou uma tendência do subgrupo com disfunção grave a apresentar prevalência de hiperlordose cervical. Esses resultados sugerem uma tendência dos indivíduos com disfunção temporomandibular (DTM) grave a apresentarem hiperlordose. No entanto, futuros estudos devem ser feitos, analisando-se um maior número de indivíduos portadores de DTM grave para corroborar nossos achados.

Radiographic evaluation of cervical spine of subjects with temporomandibular joint internal disorder.

Although the etiopathophysiology of internal temporomandibular joint internal disorders (TMJ ID) is still unknown, it has been suggested that head and body posture could be related to its initial onset, development and perpetuation. The purpose of the present study was to observe the relationship between cervical spine X-ray abnormalities and TMJ ID. This investigation evaluated 30 subjects with internal TMJ disorder symptoms (test group) and 20 healthy subjects (control group). Subjects were submitted to clinical and radiographic evaluation. Clinical evaluation comprised anamnesis and stomatognathic system physical examination. Radiographic evaluation comprised analysis of lateral cervical spine X-rays by three physical therapists and tracing on the same images. The test group presented twice as much cervical spine hyperlordosis as the control group (20.7% versus 10.5%), but almost half of rectification prevalence (41.4 versus 79.0%, p = 0.03). After that, the test group was divided into three subgroups according to TMJ dysfunction severity, evaluated by Helkimo's index. These subgroups were not significantly different, but the subgroup with more severe TMD showed a tendency to cervical spine hyperlordosis prevalence. Results showed a tendency for subjects with more severe TMD to exhibit cervical spine hyperlordosis. Nevertheless, studies with a larger number of subjects suffering from severe TMD are encouraged in order to corroborate the present findings.

Avaliaçäo do risco de cárie em crianças com e sem orientaçäo domiciliar de saúde bucal / Assessment of the risk of caries in children with and without oral health home guidance

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi determinar o risco de cárie em crianças de 10 a 15 anos de idade, que apresentavam diferentes graus de orientaçäo sobre saúde bucal e diferentes situaçöes frente à doença cárie.Participaram do estudo 30 crianças divididas em 3 grupos de 10. Dois grupos eram de crianças institucionalizadas, estando um grupo em tratamento odontológico oferecido por alunos de Odontologia, apresentando uma ou mais lesöes de cárie e o outro grupo já havia finalizado o tratamento curativo. O terceiro grupo, era constituído de filhos de cirurgiöes-dentistas e professores de Faculdade de odontologia. Anamnese, análise de dieta, exame clínico, microbiológico e salivar foram realizados em todas as crianças. Os resultados näo demonstraram diferença significativa entre os grupos, quando foram considerados todos os escores atribuídos. Po outro lado, as crianças com orientaçäo sobre higiene bucal (filhos de cirurgiöes-dentistas) apresentaram diferença significativa para CPO-D, índice gengival, índice de higiene bucal, número de dentes com selantes, tempo de escovaçäo e consumo de sacarose entre as refeiçöes