<Original Article>What types of occlusal factors play a role in temporomandibular disorders ...?― A Literature Review―

Abstract

Recent studies and literature reviews of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) do not strongly support the role of occlusal etiologic factors. For this paper we collected and classified studies dealing with occlusion as a contributing factor to TMD through reviews, and discussions of these difficulties and possible solutions. Related articles from 275 papers covering nearly the past twenty years were selected from a prosthetic point of view and reviewed. The validity and reliability of occlusal examina­tions, however, are questionable since the epidemiological studies dealt with numerous varied subjects. Although occlusal relationships, such as overbite, non-working side interferences, and discrepancy between the intercuspal position and the retruded contact position, have often been considered as contributing factors of TMD, there is no consistency among even those studies that support such an occlusal factor. A project should be initiated to create a revised, precise and practical method to determine the occlusal contact and to categorize an occlusal contact scheme. To detect whether the patients' occlusal scheme works traumatically or not should be an important part of the occlusal examination. That is, the frequency and duration of tooth contact on the occlusal scheme should be studied.