Long-term follow-up of early treatment of unilateral forced posterior cross-bite with regard to temporomandibular disorders and associated symptoms

Forty-four subjects, who at the age of 4 years had been treated for unilate ral forced cross-bite by grinding or by maxillary arch expansion, were 16-1 9 years later followed-up by means of a questionnaire about their present c ondition with regard to temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Twenty-two of th em had received only early treatment (early questionnaire group) and 22 had received late treatment bate questionnaire group). Fourteen of the subject s who received late treatment also received early treatment. Twenty-nine of the subjects were also examined clinically. Eighteen of these had only rec eived early treatment at 4 years of age (early clinical group), whereas 11 of them also received later treatment in the mixed or permanent dentition b ecause of relapse (late clinical group), No significant differences were fo und between die early and late groups with regard to signs and symptoms of TMD. Most of die young adults who had undergone orthodontic treatment had w ell-functioning masticatory systems, and severe TIMID signs and symptoms we re rare. The results of this study suggest that relapse of early orthodonti c treatment and further need of treatment does not influence the later stat us of subjective symptoms or clinical signs of TMD in young adults.