Dental practitioners' knowledge, management practices, and attitudes toward collaboration in the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) are a variety of conditions that affect different parts of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) and can cause orofacial pain and functional impairment. This study aims to investigate dental practitioners' knowledge and management of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMDs), particularly their knowledge of the role physical therapy plays in TMD treatment. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was adopted to provide a comprehensive view of current knowledge, management practices, and attitudes toward collaboration among dental practitioners in treating TMD. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 335 dentists in Karachi using a detailed questionnaire to assess their knowledge of the role of physical therapy in the treatment of TMD. Twenty dentists were chosen for face-to-face, in-depth interviews to explore their experiences and challenges in managing TMDs based on their responses to the administered questionnaire. RESULTS: The cumulative quantitative and qualitative findings of the study revealed a landscape marked by individualized approaches to referral practices and significant gaps in interdisciplinary collaboration. Most practitioners holding a bachelor's degree predominantly used medication (65.2%) and cause-specific treatment (65.3%) for TMD treatment. Thematic analysis of clinical efficacy and practitioner challenges in managing TMD revealed significant issues faced by dental professionals. CONCLUSIONS: The study successfully validated a questionnaire to understand dental practitioners' knowledge regarding physical therapy in TMD treatment. The study identified significant gaps in knowledge and a lack of collaboration between dentists and physiotherapists. The limited referral practices highlighted in the study, along with insights from dentist interviews, emphasize the need for improved interdisciplinary approaches to managing TMDs within dental practice.

Labial and Palatal Pressure Changes in Extraction Cases Before and After Maxillary Incisor Retraction: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes in lip and tongue pressure before and after incisor retraction in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with premolar extraction and incisor retraction. STUDY DESIGN: A Quasi-experimental study Place and Duration of the Study: Orthodontic Department at Dow University of Health Sciences, Pakistan, from January 2018 to November 2019. METHODOLOGY: The study included 64 patients who were divided into two groups, (32 patients of class I and 32 patients of class II malocclusion). The lip and tongue pressures were recorded before and after incisor retraction with the help of Flexiforce sensor. The collected data were statistically analysed using the SPSS V-24 software. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to test the normality of data. The mean difference between lip and tongue pressure before and after incisor retraction was analyzed by Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. The difference in soft tissue pressures between class I and class II treatment groups was carried out using the Mann Whitney test. RESULTS: The mean pressure on the labial surface of incisors was significantly reduced after premolar extraction and incisor retraction (p ≤0.001). On the other hand tongue pressure on the palatal side of incisors was enhanced after incisor retraction (p=0.008) Comparing the differences between Angle's class I and class II malocclusion in mean pressure changes before and after incisor retraction revealed that the difference was not statistically significant on labial (p=0.58) or palatal side (p=0.28) of maxillary incisors. CONCLUSION: Reduced lip pressure and increased tongue pressure were observed after incisor retraction, whereas no significant change was seen in between the class I and class II cases. This signifies that orthodontic extraction affects the pressure changes on incisors and teeth do not remain in balance equilibrium at rest. KEY WORDS: Lip pressure, Tongue pressure, Orthodontic treatment, Flexiforce resistive sensor, Extraction, neutral zone.

Bite Force Changes in Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate Patients Before and After ALT-RAMEC Protocol.

To evaluate the bite force (BF) changes in bilateral cleft lip and palate (BCLP) in contrast to the non BCLP children after ALT-RAMEC Facemask therapy.The prospective study was carried out on a total of 60 subjects of age 6 to 13 years in a tertiary care hospital; treatment group, 30 children with BCLP and control group, 30 children without cleft lip and palate. Each cleft patient was received ALT-RAMEC Facemask treatment and their BF assessed at 4 different stages. Bite force taken before treatment, immediately, 3 months and 6 months after treatment. Bite force of the control group was taken at baseline to compare with the treatment group to demonstrate the difference in BF values. Independent t test and analysis of variance were used to perform statistical analysis.There was a significant difference in BF between the treatment group (BCLP) 122.53 ± 8.64 N and the control group (non BCLP) 181.38 ± 18.84 N at baseline. After the Alt RAMEC protocol, changes in BF recorded over 3 and 6 months of therapy showed significant improvement. The mean values of BF at 3months and 6 months were 106.7 ± 9.3 N and 137.4 ± 9.5 N, respectively.Bite force was significantly improved after ALT-RAMEC protocol followed by facemask therapy in BCLP patients.