BACKGROUND: The relationship between respiratory and temporomandibular dysfunctions has recently been brought to light through the incidence of orofacial pain among individuals with a history of obstructive respiratory diseases in the upper and lower airways. OBJECTIVE: To comparatively evaluate the ventilatory mechanics in individuals with temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) and in asymptomatic individuals. METHOD: Thirty-five volunteers took part in the study: 20 individuals with TMD and 15 asymptomatic individuals. The participants were evaluated to verify the presence and degree of TMD. A respiratory evaluation was carried out by means of inspecting the ventilatory pattern and type, measuring the chest perimeter, testing the respiratory muscle strength and investigating the history of respiratory diseases. RESULTS: The mouth (30%) and mixed (15%) breathing types and the apical ventilatory pattern (45%) predominated in individuals with TMD. There was less chest expandability and a statistically significantly smaller abdominal amplitude index in individuals with TMD. These individuals also presented higher incidence of obstructive respiratory diseases in the upper (70%) and lower (45%) airways, in relation to the asymptomatic individuals. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that there is an influence from ventilatory mechanics on the occurrence of temporomandibular dysfunction.
lung ventilation; temporomandibular joint disorders; mastication; posture
