A Study on the Anterior Tooth Contacts of Patient with Internal Derangement of TMJ

악관절 내장환자의 전치부 접촉에 관한 연구

The aim of this study was to investigate the state of anterior tooth contacts in patient with internal derangement of TMJ. We have investigated the change of the number of tooth contacts after conservative treatment including stabilization spint in 83 patients with TMJ internal derangemnet who visited the Orofacial Pain Clinic, Dept of Oral Diagnosis, Seoul National University Dental Hospital. The obtained results were as follows : 1. The gender ratio of patients was 1:3.7(M:F) 2. The number of patients with bony changes in TMJ was 17(20.5%) 3. The number of patients with absence of incisor tooth contacts was 73(88%) 4. The number of Tooth contacts after treatment was decreased compared with that before treatment in both groups. However there was no significant difference between groups 5. There was the decrease in the number of tooth contacts in 12(76%) of 17 patients with bony changes in TMJ and in 23(34.8%) of 66 patients without bony changes in TMJ. 6. The ratio of patients who showed the decrease of the number of tooth contacts was higher in patients with bony changes in TMJ than patients without bony changes in TMJ. 7. After conservative treatments with stabilization splints in patients with TMJ internal derangement, the possibility of the decrease in the number of tooth contacts had no relationship with the presence of incisor tooth contacts. However, the incidence was higher in patients with bony changes in TMJ.