Malocclusion, body posture, and temporomandibular disorder in children with primary and mixed dentition.

Occlusal factors, body posture and TM disorders were examined in forty children with primary dentition and forty children with mixed dentition. The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that there is a relationship between TM disorders and malocclusion, as well as that there is a relationship between body posture and TM disorders in the examined population. Clinical examination was done by two investigators, who used a stethoscope to detect TMJ sounds. The results showed that forward head position had a significant relationship to TM disorders in the mixed dentition. Also many of the occlusal factors were closely related to TM disorders in the population examined. The prevalence of TM disorders in primary dentition was 2.5% and in the mixed dentition it was 90% in the population studied.