Extraction, orthodontic treatment, and craniomandibular dysfunction

Abstract

Signs and symptoms attributed to craniomandibular dysfunction (CMD) were registered in the Groningen longitudinal prospective study over a 15-year period. It is concluded that none of the three treatment types--removable appliances, Begg mechanics, and chin cups--should be considered causal factors for the signs and symptoms registered many years later. Furthermore, a comparison was made among nonextraction, extraction of all first premolars, and extraction of other teeth with regard to CMD and it was concluded that the original growth pattern that caused the teeth to be selected for extraction--rather than the extraction itself--is the most likely factor responsible for the frequency of CMD reported years later. This conclusion agrees with one based on a previously postulated idea about the relationship between dysfunction symptoms and growth patterns.