Unilateral Posterior Crossbite is Not Associated with TMJ Clicking in Young Adolescents

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http://jdr.iadrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/2/137?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=orthodontics&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=10&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

Unilateral Posterior Crossbite is Not Associated with TMJ Clicking in Young Adolescents
Journal of Dental Research 86(2):137-141, 2007

M. Farella1,*, A. Michelotti1, G. Iodice1, S. Milani2, and R. Martina1
1 School of Dentistry, Department of Oral, Dental and Maxillo-Facial Sciences, Section of Orthodontics and Clinical Gnathology, University of Naples "Federico II", Via Pansini, 5, I-80131, Naples, Italy; and
2 Institute of Medical Statistics and Biometry, University of Milan, Italy

* corresponding author, farella@unina.it

Unilateral posterior crossbite has been considered as a risk factor for temporomandibular joint clicking, with conflicting findings. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible association between unilateral posterior crossbite and temporomandibular disk displacement with reduction, by means of a survey carried out in young adolescents recruited from three schools. The sample included 1291 participants (708 males and 583 females) with a mean age of 12.3 yrs (range, 10.1Ò16.1 yrs), who underwent an orthodontic and functional examination performed by two independent examiners. Unilateral posterior crossbite was found in 157 participants (12.2%). Fifty-three participants (4.1%) were diagnosed as having disk displacement with reduction. Logistic regression analysis failed to reveal a significant association between unilateral posterior crossbite and disk displacement with reduction (odds ratio = 1.3; confidence limits = 0.6Ò2.9). Posterior unilateral crossbite does not appear to be a risk factor for temporomandibular joint clicking, at least in young adolescents.

KEY WORDS: temporomandibular disorders Ô crossbite Ô malocclusion Ô cross-sectional study Ô young adolescents

© 2007 International and American Associations for Dental Research