Masticatory efficiency in patients with acute and chronic forms of masticatory muscle disorders

Abstract

Introduction. Masticatory muscle disorders are frequently encountered in clinical dental practice, with a varied impact on the functionality of the stomatognathic system. The rehabilitation of mastication is a central objective in the treatment of these pathologies, thus there are required to employ objective and qualitative indices for the assessment and treatment efficiency quantification for the masticatory function. Aim of the study: Evaluation of masticatory efficiency parameters through the mixing ability test in patients with acute and chronic phases of masticatory muscle disorders. Material and methods. There were investigated 55 patients with masticatory muscle disorders (females, average age — 28.1 ±5.02 years), divided into 2 groups according to the phase of the disease (acute/chronic). There were determined the values of the descriptive indices of the dysfunctional process (pain intensity, severity of dysfunction, mandibular mobility, functional limitation). Masticatory efficiency was assessed subjectively and objectively based on mixing ability test indices. Results. In the chronic phase of masticatory muscle dysfunction, there is a more pronounced expression of the parameters of the dysfunctional process, but masticatory efficiency is rarely severely affected, possibly due to the initiation and involvement of functional compensation and adaptation mechanisms.