Using pantographic tracings to detect TMJ and muscle dysfunctions.

Forty-six subjects were examined using the HDI and a PRI. Two sets of pantographic tracings were used to determine if subjects experiencing dysfunction could differentiate between degrees of dysfunction. Subjects were divided into groups according to their clinical symptoms: none (D0), sligh (D1), and moderate dysfunction (D5). Each subject was further classified into one of two groups according to his state of occlusion/articulation. The PRI detected differences between the group with moderate dysfunction and those groups with no dysfunction and slight dysfunction on the basis of differences between the first and second sets of tracings; no difference was found between the groups with slight and moderate dysfunction. Subjects with poor occlusions had higher PRI scores. The diagnosis of TMJ dysfunction may require the use of several modalities such as subjective responses, clinical examination, radiographs, and pantographic tracings.