[Correlation between inner ear disorders and temporomandibular joint diseases]

Acute and chronic inner ear diseases involve many etiological factors, some as yet unknown. ENT-specific, orthopedic, hemorrheological, immunological and neurological disorders can affect the cochleovestibular system and induce hearing loss, vertigo and/ortinnitus. We performed a prospective study to analyze factors of the dentognathological system and of the temporomandibular joint that can influence acute and chronic inner ear dysfunctions. A total of 138 patients (49.3% female, 50.9% male) receiving clinical treatment for inner ear dysfunctions (12.3% chronic sensorineural hearing loss, 15.2% Ménière's disease, 52.2% sudden hearing loss, 13.8% isolated tinnitus, 6.5% recurrent hearing loss) underwent a prospective dental and gnathological examination. In particular, the patient's dental status and a functional investigation of the masticatory muscles and the temporomandibular joint were analyzed. In 20.3% patients the examination showed no pathology of the dentognathological system. In contrast, there were pathological findings in 110 patients (79.7%): in 43.5% a temporomandibular joint syndrome was diagnosed, in 29% parafunction of the occlusion, and in 35% a myopathy of the masticatory muscles. Additionally 32.6% patients showed dental disorders that required treatment; 11.65% had problems with dentures and 20.3% malpositioned wisdom teeth. In 16 patients the recommended dental treatment was followed up and improvement of otological symptoms was found in 56.6%. The present investigation shows that many patients with inner ear dysfunction suffer from dentognathological disorders. For a subgroup of patients there exists the possibility of improving otological symptoms by dental treatment. Therefore we recommend a dentognathological examination in patients with inner ear dysfunctions of unknown etiology.