Malocclusions, Vertical Dimension and TMD in children and adolescents

The rehabilitation of the stomatognathic system in the growth phase should be aimed at establishing an adequate mixed and permanent dentition. Within this context, it is important to emphasise the need to observe facial measurements correlated to occlusion, and in particular the Vertical Dimension of Occlusion. When there is a change in the vertical dimension, there is a change in the muscles that insert into and pass through the skull, the hyoid bone and the shoulders. These changes can influence the stomatognathic system, causing transformations in the distribution of occlusal stress, as well as affecting craniofacial morphology and inducing the development of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Given this strong link between OVD and alterations in the stomatognathic system, the aim of this study was to investigate the variability of this measurement in different age groups in order to verify the correlation between this distance, temporomandibular disorders and the malocclusions most frequently found in children, giving rise to different articles.