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| 2010-22 |
| 22-1 |
ISSN (Print) 1013-9052
EISSN 1658-3558
P.O. Box 52500,
Riyadh 11563,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| Tel. |
966-1-467-7328 |
| Fax. |
933-1-467-7308 / 966-1-467-7534 |
| Email |
saudidj@ksu.edu.sa |
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Normal mouth opening in the Saudi population
H. El-Abdin, BDS, FDSRCPS*, T. Al-Shalan, BDS**
The maximal mouth openings of 1158 Saudi patients who attended the clinics in the Dental College of King Sand University were measured. The patients, aged between five and seventy years had their natural teeth. There was an increase in mouth opening from childhood to adult hood with reduction in mouth opening capacity in older patients. Men have larger maximal opening generally than women. The results were different from those reported by investigators from other countries
Measurement
of the range of mouth opening is a valuable objective method for assessing the
func tion of the masticatory system. A reduced or limited mouth opening may be
a sign of disease or disorder of this system. It is also an indication of the
difficulty that a clinician may face during treatment proce dure. Lastly, the
opening is a useful method of assessing the effect of various treatment
modalities prescribed for diseases in and around the oral cavity, e.g.
congenital disorder, trauma, inflammatory conditions involving the soft
tissues, and tem poromandibular joint (TMJ) injuries and ankylosis.
A total of 1158 Saudi subjects, who
were visiting the dental clinic at the College of Dentistry King Saud
University, were examined for maximum mouth openings. All subjects had thorough
exami nations, both extra- and intra-orally. Those with clinical history of
TMJ involvement, trauma, infec tion, or congenital anomalies in the
maxillofacial region, were discarded and not included in the study. Subjects were
594 males and 564 females. Their ages varied from 5 to 70 years. They were divided
into six groups according to age and sex [Fig. 1].
A Boley gauge was used to measure the distance between the incisal edges of upper and lower right central incisors with the mouth fully opened. Such a distance was measured twice for each subject. The mean of the two values was recorded.
Table 1 shows the range of mouth opening and the mean value of maximal opening in relation to sex and age. The mean value and the range of mouth opening for males was 48.19 mm (40.34 -55.80 mm) and for females, it was 44.05 mm (33.45 - 49.38 mm). The greatest mean mouth opening was recorded in age-group 20 to 30 years for both males and females. It was 55.80 mm in males and 49.05 in females. The lowest mean mouth opening was recorded in male children 5 to 10 years and measured 40.34 mm. The lowest in females was in age-group 30 to 40 years where 33.45 mm was recorded [Fig. 1].
The direct method for measuring the
maximal opening of the mouth proved to be more accurate than dividers or Willis
Gauge Technique.3,4 Inger- vall4 recorded a value of 52 mm (range 33 - 65 mm),
while Agerberg,5 using the same technique for measuring the
maximal opening, found the mean in men to be 58.6 mm (range 44 - 77 mm)
and 53.3 mm (range 42 - 75 mm) in women. A mean value of 48.19 mm (range 40.34
- 55.80 mm) for men and 44.05 mm (range 33.45 -49.38 mm) for women, was
recorded in this study. In other studies, a mouth opening of 40 mm or less was
a relatively infrequent finding in the general population.6 Race, body weight, and height may be the other
factors which influence maximal mouth opening.4
1158 Saudi
subjects were measured for maximal mouth opening. The mean opening for men was
48.19 mm with a peak at the age of 20 to 30 years consistent with other
findings, and 44.05 mm for women with a peak at the age of 10 to 30 years. The
lowest mean for males was between the ages of 40 and 50 years (41.15 mm), and
for females at the age of 30 to 40 years (33.45 mm). It was noted that Saudi
subjects in the latter age-groups were obese. This observation has been made by
others who reported a relationship between maximal mouth openings and body
weight, height, and other factors.4
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