• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.317-324
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• 2009

This study aimed to assess stiffness and elasticity of the masticatory muscle in the patients with the masticatory muscle pain using a tactile sensor and to investigate whether the masticatory muscle pain affects the facial expression muscles. From those who visited Department of Oral Medicine in Dankook University Dental Hospital, 27 patients presenting with unilateral muscle pain and tenderness in the masseter muscle (Ms) were selected (mean age: $36.4{\pm}13.8$ years). Exclusion criterion was those who also had temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders or any neurological pain. Muscle stiffness and elasticity for the muscles of mastication and facial expression was investigated with the tactile sensor (Venustron, Axiom Co., JAPAN) and the muscles measured were the Ms, anterior temporal muscle (Ta), frontalis (Fr), inferior orbicularis oculi (Ooci), zygomaticus major (Zm), superior and inferior orbicularis oris (Oors, Oori) and mentalis (Mn). t-tests was used to compare side difference in muscle stiffness and elasticity. Side differences were also compared between diagnostic groups (local muscle soreness (LMS) vs myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) and between acute (< 6M) and chronic ($\geq$ 6M) groups. This study showed that Ms and Zm at affected side exhibited significantly increased stiffness and decreased elasticity as compared to the unaffected side.(p<0.05) There was no significant difference between local muscle soreness and myofascial pain syndrome groups and between acute and chronic groups. The results of this study suggests that masticatory muscle pain in Ms can affect muscle stiffness and elasticity not only for Ms but also for Zm, the facial expression muscle.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 2013

Oral Medicine includes temporomandibular disorder, orofacial pains such as neuropathic pain, soft tissue diseases, halitosis, laser treatment, snoring, sleep apnea and identification through forensic dentistry etc. Such diseases are relatively common and cause great inconvenience and pain to the patients, as well as incur fatal health scare at times. In terms of oral medicine, the number of orofacial patients is growing due to a change in the life style and an increased stress as time goes in contemporary society and the demand of areas requiring oral medical professionalism, such as soft tissue lesions, snoring and sleep apnea, forensic dentistry evaluation and others are rapidly ascending. Consequently, among the areas in dental science, the calls for the expertism in oral medicine and its role are mounting. Analyzing the distribution according to disease entity, symptoms, duration of disease, and the prehistory courses of new patients visiting the department of oral medicine in a year provides information of the role and the relative importance of oral medicine in prospect and enables effective diagnosis and treatments for the patients. Therefore, in the present study, by analyzing new patients visiting the oral medicine clinic in our dental hospital for a year and by evaluating the role and the professionalism in future oral medicine, the authors concluded the followings: 1. It was founded that new patients to oral medicine mainly had temporomandibular disorders, soft tissue diseases, and neuropathic pains. 2. The number of patients with temporomandibular disorder appeared to be the highest percentage and the order within this was the patients with combined disorders, muscle disorder, and internal derangement of joint disc. 3. The number of patients with xerostomia appeared to be the highest percentage within soft tissue disease, followed by lichen planus and recurrent apthous ulcers. 4. The number of patients with burning mouth syndrome appeared to be the highest percentage within neuropathic pain.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.187-195
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• 2008

Purpose: This epidemiologic research was carried out to investigate the degree and aspects of symptoms of patients suffered from TMD using RDC/TMD. Subjects and Methods: Subjects were the patients who had visited to SNUBH dental clinic from Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2005, and total 117 patients were included (M: 22, F:95). The signs and symptoms of physical, psychological and behavioral factors were retrospectively evaluated by questionnaires in the RDC/TMD. The patients were examined through clinical and radiological method, and diagnosed by same investigator. They were divided into 3 groups such as osteoarthritis group (group 1), internal deragnement (group 2), myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome group (MPDS, group 3). In addition, in patient with complex diagnosis they were divided into subgroups in detail (ex. group 1+group 2). In the questionnaire, several items were selected to calculate the graded pain score (grade $0{\sim}IV$), depression and vegetative symptoms, nonspecific physical symptoms(pain items included) and nonspecific physical symptoms(pain items excluded) in each group. Results: As a result of classification by diagnostic criteria of this study, the patients were distributed to 45% of group 1, 47% of group 2, 8% of group 3 in this study. In younger patients (under 25-year old, n=40), group 2 was occupied 57% (n=23) and group 1 was 35%, group 3 was 8%, while group 1 was occupied 75% in elderly-patients (over 40-year old, n=28) in present study (group 2: 21%, group 3: 4%). In the analysis of depression and vegetative symptoms, majority of patients in Group 2 were included in 'normal', and in Group 3 it appeared to have larger proportion of 'moderate' & 'severe' than others. According to nonspecific physical symptoms, there have been tendencies of higher ratio of 'severe' in patients with MPDS. In graded pain score, more than half (58%) of subjects were included in grade 0 and low disability (Grade I and II), and 27% were revealed high disability (grade III, IV).

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.501-508
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• 2005

Generally we use the preauricular incision to access and remove the parotid gland tumor. But the preauricular approach has some complications such as damage of facial nerve and sensory nerve, Frey's syndrome, and postoperative scar. Especially, the postoperative scar can often cause an unesthetic result and mental stress in young patients. Therefore, if we avoid preauricular incision to be performed outside of tragus, the postoperative scar would be hardly remarkable, and patients would be satisfied cosmetically. We performed surgical excision using a modified endaural and neck approach in a 21-year-old female with a pleomorphic adenoma and 15-year-old male with a neurofibroma occured in the parotid gland. A new, modified endaural and neck approach is a combined method of the modified endaural incision by Starck et al and Gutierrez's neck extension. We obtained an adequate access and the cosmetically acceptable postsurgical scar. The postoperative scars were hidden in the external ear and the hairline. Moreover, except the neck dissection can this approach be applied to the surgery of temporomandibular joint as well as the parotid gland tumor.