Publication of the Medical Rehabilitation is under the auspices of the Committee on Rehabilitation, Physical Education and Social Integration of the Polish Academy of Science

Medical Rehabilitation - quarterly journal

Volume 9 year 2005, Issue number 1

Functional disorders of the masticatory organ: etiology and symptoms

Authors: Grzegorz Kogut, Andrzej Kwolek

Medical Rehabilitation 2005; 9(1): 29-34

Functional disorders of the masticatory organ: etiology and symptoms

Zaburzenia czynnościowe układu ruchowego narządu żucia – etiolgia i objawy

Grzegorz Kogut, Andrzej Kwolek

Article from the Institute of Physiotherapy in Rzeszów University, Rzeszów, Poland

Received 28.02.2005; accepted 28.04.2005

Key words
facial pain, headache, mandibular dysfunction, parafunctions, temporomandibular joint, TMJ disc displacement

Summary

The paper presents a review of the literature on the functional system disorders of the masticatory organ. Anatomical structures and physiological functional mechanisms of the system were described. General and regional factors responsible for functional disorders as well as pathological structural changes of the temporomandibular joint were discussed. The current findings show that the changes are accompanied by both objective and subjective symptoms which can occur not only in the masticatory organ but also in the area of face, head hearing and sight organs, neck, nape, acromial belt as well as in some remote regions of the motor system. The specific character of disturbances results from jaw functions, i.e. a system of jaw movements in three dimensions, jaw joints with ligaments, muscles and occlusion. In many patients disturbances within this organ may occur without clinical symptoms. Very often the organism reaches the so-called limits of adaptation but further negative impact may put the whole system out of order. The patient with acute symptoms of the chewing organ disturbances diagnostics and therapy may become a real problem for a medical team. Untreated or ignored functional disturbance may develop into mioathropathy with exagerated pain. One third of teenagers and over half of adults show the first symptoms of the discussed disturbances. They include crackles in jaw joints, deflection of jaw in central line while opening the mouth, pain during palpation examination of joints and muscles of the chewing organ. The main cause of disturbances is, first of all, a traumatizing occlusion, but also malfunctions and parafunctions of the chewing organ. The lack of balance in the load of muscular system, especially for a longer period of time, causes asymmetrical structural changes in joints. There is a rule supported by the research: the fewer teeth, the bigger disturbance. Therefore, an exact functional analysis is necessary to make a correct diagnosis.

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