Pages 289-299, Language: English, GermanJüch, Frits
This article describes the localization, innervations and function of the human taste organ, the nature of the contribution of factors influencing taste perception in general, and the effect of covering the hard palate with dentures on taste acuity in particular. During eating, taste sensation is experienced everywhere in the oral cavity and is not restricted to areas comprising taste buds. The hard palate, which lacks gustatory receptors, plays a major role in the contribution to gustatory responses. It is generally accepted that by covering the hard palate, changes in temperature and texture perception of the food are the principal factors contributing to alterations in taste responses. Advice is provided as to how denture wearers experiencing changes in taste perception can be treated.
Keywords: taste, taste sensitivity, taste perception, denture, complete dentures
Pages 301-313, Language: English, GermanOlthoff, Lambertus W. / Bilt, Andries van der
Chewing is the first phase in the digestive process. Its purpose is to break up and soften the food to be ingested. The degree of fragmentation depends on a number of factors, such as chewing force generated by the chewing muscles, the number and the morphology of the (pre)molars, the neuromuscular control of the movements of the mandible and the quantity and quality of the saliva. To enable an effective chewing process, form and function have to be well controlled. Disorders of function and maladjustments in form may cause complaints in temporomandibular joints (temporomandibular dysfunction, myofascial pain). These complaints are mostly accompanied by a hampered chewing function. Research on the mechanisms of these functional processes may help to better understand clinical abnormalities.
Keywords: masticatory performance, neuromuscular control, food
Pages 315-327, Language: English, GermanWeber, Daniel / Lotzmann, Ulrich / Künzel, Hermann J.
Aims: The present investigation explores the possibility to characterize causal connections between speech sound articulation and dental irregularities in the form of the loss of lateral teeth. Material and methods: Edentulous patients with full dentures were used as subjects. Precise duplicates of their dentures were modified in a way to create seven varieties of arrangements of the lateral teeth, ranging from a "full set of teeth" to large unilateral or bilateral edentulous areas. A phonetically balanced text was read aloud and recorded digitally. Standard acoustic and auditory analyses were performed, as well as perception tests with groups of listeners with different degrees of professional auditory skills. Thus, it was possible to discern both acoustic and auditory deviations of consonants from their phonetic norms. Results and conclusions: The results show that immediately after insertion of the different varieties of test prostheses, only a small number of acoustic and perceptual deviations occurred. It is concluded that the disturbances caused by the artefacts were not severe enough to impede the course of the normal automatic sequence of articulatory movementsdrastically. This may be regarded as a fine example of what phoneticians call the ability of the vocal apparatus for 'articulatory compensation'.
Keywords: Disturbance of phonation, loss of lateral teeth, shortened dental arch, articulatory compensation, analysis of speech
Open AccessPages 329-348, Language: English, GermanImhoff, Bruno
Ziel: Ziel dieser Untersuchung war es, die Bedeutung unterschiedlicher Faktoren in Diagnostik und Therapie von CMD-Patienten zu analysieren. Hierzu wurden die Untersuchungs- und Behandlungsdaten von 384 CMDPatienten retrospektiv ausgewertet, die von einem einzelnen Behandler in freier Praxis in den Jahren 2008 bis 2010 behandelt wurden. Material und Methoden: Die Datenerhebung erfolgte mittels eines selbst entwickelten Datenblatts: biografische Daten, Art und Dauer der Beschwerden, Diagnose nach RDC/TMD - Achse I und Achse II -, Diagnosen nach Ahlers und Jakstat, Therapiemittel (Beratung: n = 110, Schiene: n = 166, Okklusionstherapie: n = 108) und Therapieerfolg. Ausgewertet wurden die Faktoren Geschlecht, Dauer der Beschwerden und Achse-II-Belastung in Bezug auf die eingesetzten Therapiemittel und den Therapieerfolg. Ergebnisse: Frauen (n = 274) stellten 71 % der Patienten und waren 2,6-mal häufiger als Männer (n = 110) im untersuchten Kollektiv vertreten. Die Dauer der Beschwerden (Mittelwert: 3,4 Jahre) zeigte keine direkte negative Korrelation zum Therapieerfolg. Bei hoher Achse-II-Belastung sank die Erfolgsrate beider Therapiemittel deutlich von 86 % auf 21 %. Durch den Aufbau der Okklusion (n = 108) konnte in therapierefraktären Schienenfällen für über 70 % der Patienten ein guter Therapieerfolg erzielt werden.Schlussfolgerungen: Okklusale Faktoren und Achse-IIBelastung sollten vor Therapiebeginn immer zusammen analysiert und bewertet werden. Bei geringer und mittlerer Achse-II-Belastung kann eine okklusale Therapie erfolgreich sein. Nicht jeder chronische Schmerz ist ein chronifizierter Schmerz.
Keywords: CMD, Okklusion, Achse II, chronischer Schmerz, evidenzbasierte Medizin, Michigan-Schiene, Eckzahnführung