MODERN APPROACHES TO THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH DISTAL OCCLUSION AND TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DYSFUNCTION IN ORTHODONTIC PRACTICE. LITERATURE REVIEW

The article provides a structured review of the scientific literature on the treatment of distal occlusion and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). When studying the combination of distal occlusion with TMJ dysfunction, the results show that this combined pathology is present in 28.1% of cases in adolescents and increases significantly to 57.9% in adults [24,40,45,48,20]. Orthodontists are often the first specialists to encounter TMJ dysfunction, especially because adolescents often seek orthodontic treatment during a period of active body growth. However, current clinical guidelines and national protocols lack a clear diagnostic and therapeutic pathway to address the problem of distal occlusion in young patients who already show signs of TMJ disorder [28]. For adolescent patients, orthodontists need to develop modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that can prevent the progression of symptoms of temporomandibular joint dysfunction. In adult cases where loss of occlusion height and TMJ dysfunction coexist, the solution requires a comprehensive approach involving close collaboration between different dentists. Thus, solving the combined pathology of distal occlusion and TMJ dysfunction in both adolescents and adults is a significant problem in orthodontic practice. As a result, the article concludes that algorithms for the treatment of this complex of pathologies are not enough. The need for a comprehensive, age-specific treatment protocol underscores the importance of interdisciplinary strategies in orthodontic practice for effective management of this complex pathology in different age groups.