Perception of the relationship between TMD and orthodontic treatment among orthodontists.

Thaís Gonzalez Da Silveira Coêlho,Hugo Cesar Pinto Marques Caracas

doi:10.1590/2176-9451.20.1.045-051.oar

Thaís Gonzalez Da Silveira Coêlho, Hugo Cesar Pinto Marques Caracas

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/2176-9451.20.1.045-051.oar

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The consensus about the relationship between TMD and orthodontic treatment has gone from a cause and effect association between TMD and orthodontic treatment to the idea that there is no reliable evidence supporting this statement. OBJECTIVE: To assess the beliefs, despite scientific evidence, of Brazilian orthodontists about the relationship between TMD and orthodontic treatment with regards to treatment, prevention and etiology of TMD. METHODS: A survey about the relationship between TMD and orthodontic treatment was prepared and sent to Brazilian orthodontists by e-mail and social networks. Answers were treated by means of descriptive statistics and strong associations between variables were assessed by qui-square test. RESULTS: The majority of orthodontists believe that orthodontic treatment not only is not the best treatment option for TMD, but also is not able to prevent TMD. Nevertheless, the majority of orthodontists believe that orthodontic treatment can cause TMD symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that orthodontists' beliefs about the relationship between orthodontic treatment and TMD are in accordance with scientific evidence only when referring to treatment and prevention of TMD. The majority of orthodontists believe that, despite scientific evidence, orthodontic treatment can cause TMD.

Highlights

The consensus about the relationship between temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and orthodontic treatment has gone from a cause and effect association between TMD and orthodontic treatment to the idea that there is no reliable evidence supporting this statement
We are conducting a survey on Orthodontics and TMD for the Specialization Course in Orthodontics at the “Associação Brasileira de Odontologia Seção- DF (ABO-DF Brazilian Association of Dentistry) supervised by Professor Hugo Caracas
When analyzing the relationship between TMD treatment and the use of orthodontic appliances, we found that 87.3% of participants had already treated a patient complaining about TMD, whereas 52% had already used orthodontic appliances to treat a TMD patient

Summary

Introduction

The consensus about the relationship between TMD and orthodontic treatment has gone from a cause and effect association between TMD and orthodontic treatment to the idea that there is no reliable evidence supporting this statement. According to the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a collective term that embraces a number of clinical problems involving the masticatory muscles and/or associated structures such as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and may go beyond pathologies involving TMJ.[1] The term does not refer to a single entity, since many diseases with large variations regarding the anatomic location, clinical characteristics, etiology and progression, are within this single denomination.[2] Signs and symptoms such as pain, limited opening, asymmetrical movement of the jaw, and joint sounds are the most common findings.[3] Some signs and symptoms of TMD occur in healthy individuals, with prevalence concentrated in the group between 15 and 25 years-old.[4] They have a tendency to increase with age,[5] until the fifth decade of life[6] when a reduction in prevalence is observed. Prevalence is higher among women possibly due to estrogen action; additional studies are warranted to further confirm this statement.[8,9]

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