Functional pathology of the chewing apparatus in the military

During the clinical examination, 620 military personnel (502 men and 118 women) aged 25 to 55 years serving in the land forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, determined the incidence and severity of the pathology of the temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscles. A clinical study was performed using a survey, clinical examination, auscultation of the temporomandibular joint, and the determination of the tone of the masticatory muscles. To identify the temporomandibular joint pathology, the degree of mouth opening, the presence of mandibular deviation during opening and closing of the mouth, the presence of sound phenomena in the temporomandibular joint during mandibular movements, as well as the presence of arthralgia in the state of physiological rest and during lower jaw movements were evaluated. Symptom analysis to assess the severity of the temporomandibular joint pathology was carried out in points. To identify and determine the severity of the clinical course of the pathology of the masticatory muscles, a technique was used in the work that allows such an assessment in points based on the severity of complaints of fatigue of the masticatory muscles, compression or gnashing of teeth, the presence of hypertrophy or hypertonus of the masticatory muscles, and the presence of generalized forms of periodontitis and or) increased tooth wear. It was found that diseases of the temporomandibular joint in male military personnel are less common (12,8%) than female military personnel (22,9%), while parafunctional masticatory muscles are more common in men (2,4 %) than women (1,7%). Pathology of the temporomandibular and masticatory muscles, regardless of gender and age, usually combines, aggravates each other, and in 25-66,7% of cases occur in moderate or severe. It has been shown that in the course of planned in-depth medical examinations of military personnel, it is necessary to identify persons with clinical signs of pathology of the temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscles, and send them to the military medical organizations to clarify the diagnosis and conduct specialized treatment. It is noted that it is advisable for dentists when conducting scheduled in-depth examinations or military-medical examination it is advisable to carry out auscultation of the temporomandibular joint with the use of an electronic stetofonendoskop and myotonometry of the chewing muscles proper. This, with minimal time, will significantly increase the efficiency of detecting temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscles in military personnel.