MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY: A TOOL FOR PROPER OCCLUSION MANAGEMENT AT DEVELOPING DENTITION

The individual growth and development, the most diverse complex and challenging natural phenomenon, depends on dynamic balance of the hard and soft tissue of the craniofacial complex and dentoalveolar structures. Although 90% of skeletal growth of the face occurs before the age of 8 years, growth continues in various forms and bone remodeling responded to functional influences over the entire lifespan.

Even the smallest change in functional forces can drastically affect this sensitive equilibrium, a fact that we easily forget and ignore. The teeth and their associated support structures respond to continuous forces applied through orthopedic appliances with a complex biologic reaction which will affect the growth of the bones of the face and jaws in the period of their intense development in a small child only when they have the potential for rapid change and development.

Soft tissue dysfunction influences the course and results of orthodontic treatment, and certainly the stability of the orthodontic outcome. Appropriate identification of soft-tissue dysfunction, and its influences on the developing denture could be used as a quid line when and how to perform a proper myofunctional orthodontic treatment to achieve an appropriate functional occlusion with a correct ligament in three dimensions, significantly improve the facial profile, and a stable and healthy temporomandibular joint.

Gabriela Chuchkova, President, Macedonian Dental Society

Dr. Gabriela Kjurchieva-Chuchkova received her dental and orthodontic education, her MSc and PhD in orthodontics at the Faculty of Dental Medicine, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia. She is currently Assocciate professor at the Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje. and is involved in the education and research activity of graduate, post-graduate and doctoral students.

Her main areas of research interests are growth and development of the craniofacial skeleton, cephalometric standards, early orthodontic treatment, myofunctional orthodontic treatment, interdisciplinary treatment. As an invited lecturer she presented her work at conferences and congresses home and abroad, and published her scientific work in domestic and foreign journals. She is an invited reviewer of Journal of the Anthropological Society of Serbia, member of the editorial board for 50 years beyond Faculty of Dental medicine, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”.Skopje, 2010. Participated in the national program “Strategic plan for the development of dentistry in the Republic of North Macedonia in the period 2011-2021”.

She is an Active Member of the Macedonian Orthodontic Society (MOS) – President, Macedonian Dental Society (MDS) – Vice president, European Orthodontic Society (EOS), World Federation of Orthodontics (WFO), and Balkan Association of Orthodontic Specialists (BAOS). As a President of the Macedonian Orthodontic Society she organizes conferences and congresses in the Republic of North Macedonia and she was member of the scientific board of national congresses with international participation, and editor of a book of abstracts. She was the President of Balkan Association of Orthodontic Specialists in 2019 and President of the 3rd Congress of BAOS 2019 in Ohrid, North Macedonia.