Examination, Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning for General and Orthodontic Problems

Abstract The classic portrayal of adolescence as a time of rising hormones, rebelliousness, and fads contrasts vividly with the way dentistry has viewed adolescent oral health. Dentistry for children ends abruptly with eruption of the permanent premolars and canines. Adult dentistry begins with consideration of what to do with the third molars. For many dental professionals, the first intervention that comes to mind for the adolescent is orthodontic care, which is often initiated during the preadolescent transitional period. Entirely opposite to the prevailing beliefs about the quiescence of the teenage years is the reality of a rapidly changing patient challenging his or her environment head-on and learning to cope in the process. The implications of these changes for dentistry are summarized as follows: rapid, unpredictable, and irregular skeletal and dental growth; environmental challenges, with their obstacles and pitfalls; and the need to learn to cope, make decisions, and become independent. Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) collectively describe a group of painful and nonpainful musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions involving the muscles of mastication, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and all associated structures.