EVALUATION OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDER AND VERTICAL DIMENSION OF OCCLUSION IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS AGED SEVEN TO 12 YEARS.

Purpose: to establish the relationship between the presence of temporomandibular disorders and variability of vertical dimension of occlusion aged between 7 and 12 years. Methods: it was analyzed 96 children and adolescents of Rogacionista Institute in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The diagnostic investigation of temporomandibular disorders was through Helkimo index and subsequent clinical examination. To measure the data on the vertical dimension were employed distances labial - corner of his eye and nose base - ment. To compare the mean values of anthropometric measurements between genders and the groups with and without TMD, we used analysis of variance (ANOVA) complemented by least significance diference test. Results: the vertical dimension of occlusion showed distinct measures in children and adolescents in all age groups studied, significant changes were observed for this measure at ages 10 and 12 years of both genders. Conclusion: we can conclude that in this sample there was a direct relationship between TMD and DVO, positive correlation between the measures lip commissure - corner of eye and nasium - mentum in females and significant changes in the vertical dimension of occlusion at the ages of 10 and 12 years for both sexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]