The relationship between craniomandibular disorders and occlusal disharmonies in the adolescent population of the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Using a special questionnaire adapted for computer evaluation, the prevalence of signs and symptoms of craniomandibular disorders (CMD) and occlusal disharmonies was investigated in a group of 500 adolescents of the Republic of Serbia ranging between 18 and 25 years of age. The presence of signs (symptoms) of CMD and occlusal discrepancies was established using clinical exsamination and evaluated according to the clinical disfunction index (D i) and index of the occlusal state (Oi) proposed by Helkimo et al. 1974. The results of this study revealed that 327 (65.4%) adolescents in the examined group had at least one sign (symptom) of CMD, (Di > 1), and that 271 (54.2%) adolescent had also mild, or severe occlusal discrepancies (Oi > 1). The percentage of persons with signs(symptoms) of CMD was significantly greater in the group having occlusal discrepancies (X = 7.76, P<0.01). The multiple regression analysis of the obtained data and the ODDS ratio confirmed the risk of CMD in the group with occlusal discrepancies to be 2.5 times greater than in the group of adolescents without occlusal discrepancies.