Teeth and Covariates: Association with Risk of Falls

The Effect of Postural Rehabilitation on Pain, Balance, Mandibular Movement, and Posture in Temporomandibular Disorder Patients: A Comparison Between Posterior Edentulous and Dentate Groups

Objective: Posterior edentulism reduces occlusal support, thus increasing the risk and symptoms of temporomandibular disorder. No previous study has explored its effect on the treatment of temporomandibular disorders. This study aimed to examine the relationship between neck posture, balance, and posterior edentulism in patients with temporomandibular disorder and compare the effectiveness of physical therapy. Methods: In a quasi-experimental controlled trial, 26 patients with temporomandibular disorder were divided into 13 in the partly edentulous group and 13 in the dentate group. Both groups received manual therapy, postural exercises, deep neck flexor stabilization, and Kinesio tapping for 6 weeks. Each participant completed 12 physiotherapy sessions, administered twice weekly, with a minimum interval of 48 hours between sessions. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and after the 6-week program, including pain, mandibular movement, posture, and balance. Results: The physical therapy program significantly improved all measured outcomes (P < .05). Furthermore, the partially edentulous group showed more remarkable improvement in pain and balance compared to the dentate group (P < .05). Conclusions: Postural exercises effectively alleviate symptoms in patients with temporomandibular disorder, with more significant improvements observed in the partially edentulous group than in the dentate group.

Head Posture and Postural Balance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults Who Use Dentures

Background and objectives: Tooth loss and consequent denture use and impaired posture and postural balance are more prevalent in older adults than in the young ones. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to identify the association between denture use, head posture, postural balance, and neck muscle strength (NMS). Materials and methods: We included 107 participants (56 in the non-denture use group and 51 in the denture use group) and measured their NMS, forward head posture, and postural balance. Forward head posture was measured using the craniocervical angle (CRA). Postural balance was assessed using a timed up-and-go test (TUG) and postural sway. An independent t-test was used to analyze the differences between the groups; Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of period of denture use, head posture, and postural balance. Results: We found that the denture use group had lower NMS, smaller CRA, longer TUG, and longer postural sway length than the non-denture use group. Duration of denture use was significantly correlated with TUG. Conclusions: Our findings reveal that denture use does not help with NMS, forward head maintain NMS, head posture, and postural balance in older adults.