Is maximal bite force affected in patients with myogenic temporomandibular disorders?

Abstract

Background : Myogenic Temporomandibular disorders (MTMD) are the most prevalent type of all TMD subtypes. It is a muscular disorder of the masticatory muscle system. Since the bite force is one of the most crucial aspects of the masticatory system's functioning, it is imperative to examine it in patients with myogenic TMD. Purpose: This study aimed to measure the bilateral maximal bite force in myogenic TMD patients and compare it to that of matched healthy subjects. Subjects & Methods: Forty-two participants whose mean age was 27.24 ± 7.70, were enrolled for the current study and assigned into 2 groups, group A (N=21) included healthy controls and group B (N=21) included patients with myogenic TMD. An occlusal bite force meter was used to measure the maximum posterior bite on both sides for both groups. The Mann-Whitney U test is used to compare differences between the both groups. Results: The maximal bite force on the left and right sides varied significantly between the two groups, favoring the healthy controls (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Patients diagnosed with myogenic TMD exhibited decreased maximal bite force on both sides when compared to matched healthy controls. It's unclear if this decline is a result of the illness directly or if there are other factors at play. To distinguish between these kinds of observations, longitudinal research is required.