Emergency consultations for malfunctions of the masticatory apparatus

Address for correspondence: O. LAPLANCHE, UFR d’Odontologie de Nice, 24 avenue des Diables-Bleus, 06300 Nice. olivier.laplanche@unice.fr

Abstract

The masticatory apparatus, which serves numerous functions in the life of humans, is constantly active and, as a result, can be the victim of a variety of malfunctions, even trauma. which occurs suddenly, often brutally enough to provoke patients to seek a consultation with a specialist in the masticatory apparatus, that is, an orthodontist.

What attitude should we adopt when examining a patient with myalgia, a subluxated or ‘‘locked’’ mandible, or sudden onset of arthralgia, pain in the temperomandibular joint? Finesse in clinical diagnosis and a profound knowledge of disorders of the masticatory apparatus are essentials in dealing with emergency visits from patients who have suffered a traumatic incident. We should devise prompt, prudent, and appropriate treatment to help them.