1. Occluso muscle disorder
Discomfort or dysfunction resulting from
hyperactive,in-coordinated muscle function that is
triggered by deflective occlusal interferences to
physiologic jaw movement and noxious habits.
2. Separating occluso-muscle from TMJ
pain.
Palpate medial pterygoid and
check for tenderness.
Rule out intracapsular
problems by load testing.
If occluso muscle disorder is
suspected then achieving
centric relation will have the
immediate effect of reversing
the symptoms with in minutes.
3. Diagnostic tests for occluso-muscle
disorders
CLENCH TEST;
Ask the patient to clench, if teeth show signs of
tenderness, it is indicative of pathology.
4. Cont’nd
ANTERIOR DE-PROGRAMMING DEVICE;
Separation of posterior teeth by a
flat anterior de-programming device relieves
pain is indicative of interfering tooth as a
factor, alternately cotton rolls at the premolar
region can be used.
5.
6. Cont’nd
LOAD TESTING;
Seat patient in supine position and with the
head of the patient tucked in between arm and chest place all
four fingers of both hands at the mid point of body of mandible
on either sides and both thumbs at the symphysis area. Now
apply upward load in the ramus area in line of masseter pull
and with thumbs putting load in downward direction in the
symphysis area. Ask the patient whether any pain or
tenderness is felt in the tmj area.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12. Cont’nd
This test is so simple and of such diagnostic
value that any pain that is of occluso muscle
origin will not respond to this test and if there
is pain to then either
TMJs are not in centric relation or
An intracapsular disorder might be
suspected.
13. TREATMENT
Deflective occlusal contact should be identified
by seating the condyles in centric relation
and then removed by selective grinding in
centric and eccentric excursions.
