Natural course of nonreducing disc displacement of the temporomandibular joint: changes in chewing movement and masticatory efficiency.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine changes of chewing movement and masticatory efficiency during the natural course of nonreducing disc displacement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

Patients And Methods: The subjects were 15 patients who had been diagnosed with nonreducing disc displacement of the TMJ but had received no treatment. Chewing movement and masticatory efficiency were examined at the initial visit and at a mean follow-up of 21.7 months, using mandibular kinesiography and adenosine triphosphate ebteric-coated granules. As a control, 23 persons who had no current or previous TMJ symptoms were studied.

Results: The patients' clinical signs and symptoms tended to be alleviated during the follow-up period. In normal controls, chewing movement showed lateral excursion to the chewing side on both the right and left sides. In patients, chewing movement at the initial visit showed lateral excursion to the chewing side during chewing on the TMJ affected side, but no such deviation was noted during chewing on the TMJ unaffected side in the horizontal plane. However, chewing movement at follow-up became similar to that of controls. In patients, masticatory efficiency became better during the natural course, although that at follow-up did not always reach the control's level.

Conclusion: In untreated patients with nonreducing disc displacement of the TMJ, chewing movement and masticatory efficiency tend to improve spontaneously.