Craniomandibular disorders and masticatory muscle function

The heading craniomandibular disorders covers a wide range of abnormal and pathologic conditions accompanied by orofacial pain and impaired mandibular function, the masticatory muscles and the temporomandibular joints being the structures most frequently involved. Prevalences of severe craniomandibular disorders accompanied by headache and facial pain urgently in need of treatment are 1-2% in children, about 5% in adolescents, and 5-15% in adults, with higher values in women than in men. With respect to physiology and ergonomics, masticatory muscles are comparable to other human skeletal muscles, e.g. of shoulder, neck and lower back. Therefore these muscles share pathogenesis, symptoms and signs of muscular disorders caused by prolonged, low-level static contractions or intermittent isometric contractions at higher levels. Since the same elements of performance in the masticatory muscles are influenced by occlusal factors, they link the development of muscular fatigue, discomfort and pain to the dental occlusion. Furthermore, changes of the occlusal surfaces, e.g. due to dental treatment, may influence the performance of the masticatory muscles, and consequently interfere with local muscular function.