PREVENTION OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDER-RELATED SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS IN ORTHODONTICALLY TREATED ADOLESCENTS - A 3-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Recommendations about the need for occlusal adjustment after malocclus ion therapy are inconclusive. A total of 123 orthodontically treated h ealthy adolescents (88 girls, 35 boys; 14.8 +/- 1.7 years old) agreed to participate in the present study. The subjects were interviewed and examined for signs and symptoms related to temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 63) and contro l (n = 60) groups. At base line, occlusal adjustment was carried out f or the intervention group and repeated every 6 months thereafter as ne eded. Mock adjustments were performed for the control group. At the en d of the 3rd year 118 subjects (96%) turned up for re-examination. The number of subjects with palpatory pain of the masticatory muscles, an d with occlusal centric slides decreased significantly in the interven tion group bur not in the control group (P < 0.001). In conclusion, oc clusal adjustment therapy may prevent the occurrence of TMD signs in o rthodontically treated healthy adolescents.