TEMPOROMANDIBULAR-JOINT DYSFUNCTION IN CHILDREN - EVALUATION OF TREATMENT

Thirty-eight pediatric patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dys function were diagnosed and treated. The etiology for the TMJ dysfunct ion was trauma in 30 (79%) patients, degenerative joint disease in two (5%) patients, growth disturbances in two (5%) patients and tumor in one (3%) patient. In three (8%) patients the etiology was unclear. The treatment modalities were: non-invasive therapy in 19 (50%) patients, occlusal therapy in 10 (26%) patients and surgical treatment in nine (24%) patients. The reported symptoms of temporomandibular joint dysfu nction using the Helkino anamnestic index revealed that, at the initia l examination, eight (21%) reported mild symptoms and 30 (79%) severe symptoms. One year later, 33 (87%) reported no symptoms, four (10%) mi ld symptoms and one (3%) severe symptoms. These differences were signi ficant (P < 0.05-0.01). Maximum mouth opening 1 year after treatment a s compared to the initial examination increased (P < 0.05) in all thre e treatment modalities. Deviation of the mandible on opening, 1 year a fter treatment as compared to the initial examination, decreased (P < 0.05) in all three treatment modalities. No differences were found bet ween the modalities in both the maximum mouth opening or deviation of the mandible. TMJ dysfunction in children can be effectively treated b y non-surgical treatment modalities. Surgery should be considered only when the non-surgical therapies were ineffective. (C) 1998 Elsevier S cience Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.