title: Musculo-articular disorders of the stomatognathic system in school children examined according to clinical criteria.
abstract: The present investigations were undertaken for establishing the frequency of musculo-articular disorders of the stomatognathic system in healthy children as well as determining their features and degree. The study covered 500 children from Warsaw's primary schools--250 children aged 6-8 years and 250 aged 13-15 years. An incidence of disorder of 56-4 and 67-6% was found in the groups of younger and older children, respectively; their number and severity being significantly higher among the latter. The chi-square test showed no relation between the disorders of the temporomandibular joint and malocclusion or the premature loss of teeth in the group of younger children; in the older group the correlation was significant but of very low degree. The suggestion is made that the correlation between musculo-articular disorders, malocclusions and loss of teeth, is probably determined by the length of time during which the dysfunction is exerting its effect.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005152:Facial Muscles; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000150:complications; D008410:Masticatory Muscles; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint