[Occlusion in the etiology of craniomandibular disorders. Current directions]

Craniomandibular disorders are a pathology with a multifactorial genesis where the aetiological aspects it represented by emotional and occlusal factors. These provoke muscular hyperactivity so determining a change in all components of the stomatognathic apparatus. A critical analysis of the literature leads to an analysis of the importance of the occlusal factor in the aetiology of MCD. The conclusions reached are that the ideal occlusion is a theoretical concept. Physiological occlusion is the situation in which, independently of the number, lay-out and relationship between teeth there exists a subjective occlusal stability and a satisfactory masticatory, phonatory and aesthetic function.