Changes in TMD signs and in mandibular movements from 10 to 15 years of age in relation to articulatory speech disorders

This study is part of a longitudinal study on the associations between different orofacial dysfunctions. The aim was to determine changes in signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and in mandibular movement capacity in subjects with articulatory speech disorders and in controls by re-examining a sample of 187 previously studied children from 10 to 15 years of age. Articulatory speech disorders were diagnosed by a phoniatrician. Mandibular movement capacity, signs of TMD, occlusal contacts/interference and slide between retruded and intercuspal positions were recorded by a dentist. The followup results showed that mandibular mobility mainly increased up to the age of 15, but there was a decrease in protrusion capacity in almost half of the cases. This fluctuation probably reflects the normal changes in growth pattern. Signs of TMDs proved to be inconsistent in nature, especially among the controls. With age, girls in the control group, more so than boys, were prone to new signs of TMD, but no gender difference was found in the group of subjects with misarticulations of speech. The findings indicate that in adolescence different orofacial dysfunctions are related.