CLINICAL ASPECTS AMT, v. II, no. 1, 2013, p. 307 MEANS OF CROSS - INVESTIGATION IN THE CASE OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT BIOMECHANICS. OVERDENTURE ON NATURAL TEETH VERSUS IMPLANTS CRISTINA DAHM TĂTARU 1 , MIHAELA CERNUŞCĂ-MIŢARIU 2 , MIHAI MIŢARIU 3 , SEBASTIAN CERNUŞCĂ-MIŢARIU 4 1,2,3,4 “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu Keywords: biodynmics, overdenture, occlusal equilibration Abstract: The objective of this paper was to provide a comparative analysis of the biomechanics of the dento-maxillary device in the case of overdenture on natural teeth and dental implants. The results were collected from a total of 300 patients, using the following means of investigation: radiological examination method, the direct investigation method, the direct method for investigating and measuring the angle of inclination of the above determinant, along with statistic procedures. The results point to a picture where changes in the biomechanics of the temporomandibular joint can be found in very young ages (20-25 years old) and are directly linked to the outbreak toothless and especially its persistence for a long time, which distort the internal anatomy of the joint. Another aspect is represented by the inadequate or unfinished prosthetic restoration by occlusal equilibration. This problem occurs quite frequently and falls in the etiology of temporomandibular joint modifications. Cuvinte cheie: biodinamică, supraprotezare, echilibrare ocluzală Rezumat: Obiectivul acestei lucrări îl reprezintă analiza comparativă a biomecanicii aparatului dento- maxilar în cazul supraprotezării pe dinţi naturali şi pe implante dentare. Datele au fost colectate de la un eşantion de 300 de pacienţi, folosind ca mijloace de investigare: metoda chestionarului, metoda examenului radiologic, metoda directă de investigare şi măsurare a unghiului de înclinare a determinantului anterior, precum şi metode statistice. Rezultatele cercetării converg către o imagine unde: modificările biomecanicii articulaţiei temporomandibulare pot fi întâlnite la vârste foarte tinere (20-25 de ani) şi sunt în directă legătură cu apariţia edentaţiilor şi mai ales cu persistenţa lor pe o durată lungă de timp, fapt care dezechilibrează anatomia internă articulară. Un alt aspect de evidenţiat îl reprezintă restaurarea protetică necorespunzătoare sau nefinalizată prin echilibrare ocluzală. Această problemă apare destul de frecvent şi intră în etiologia modificării biodinamicii articulaţiei temporomandibulare. 1 Corresponding author: Mihaela Cernuscă-Miţariu, Str. Ştefan cel Mare, Nr. 6, Sibiu, România, E-mail: confortmitariu@yahoo.com, Tel: +40269 212751 Article received on 10.09.2012 and accepted for publication on 10.01.2013 ACTA MEDICA TRANSILVANICA March 2013;2(1):307-308 INTRODUCTION Dentomaxillary device functions require various movements of the mandible. Arthromiologically speaking, they are the result of coordinated movements performed in the two temporomandibular joints, in mobilizing the mandible as a mandibulo-head reflex action. Complex analysis of clinical dentistry jaw movements, especially in terms of functional occlusal relationships can organize and can be followed by studying the biomechanics of the jaw at the level of the temporomandibular joint movements and the movements of the mandibular jaw. Although this is more a systematic teaching, we used it for ease of grouping and data collection for both the control group and the study group in our research.(1) WORKING HYPOTHESIS Changes occurring after the installation of the edentulous areas can lead over time to changes in the physiological biomechanics of the temporomandibular joint, which entails the craniomandibular dysfunction.(1) Toothless implant restoration produces a change in temporomandibular joint biodynamics, which must be monitored quantitatively and qualitatively compared with the physiological joint biomechanics and with the biomechanics of the joint without implant overdenture.(2,3) We started this research from a series of observations taken from clinical cases solved, in direct contact with patients within the practice of dentistry, patients who were complex clinical cases with simple and/or extended edentulous, whose prosthetic solution most often involved the application of dental implants.(4,5) PURPOSE The objective of this paper was to provide a comparative analysis of the biomechanics of the dento-maxillary device in the case of overdenture on natural teeth and dental implants.(6) METHODS The initial observations of a general nature have been subsequently made the object of a systematic investigation on a group of 300 patients.