Maximum Mouth Opening among Libyan Population

Restricted mouth opening may be associated with musculoskeletal disorder or due to orofacial infections and trauma, as well as chronic condition such as disorders of the temporomandibular joint and tumors. Aim This study was aimed to measure the maximum mouth opening among the young healthy patients of Sirte city. Methods A total of 100 participates, 42 males and 58 females, in the age range of 12-20 years attending the orthodontic clinic in Sirte city were studied. The Participates were asked to open their mouth maximally until no further opening was possible. The distance from the incisal edge of the upper incisor teeth to the incisal edge of the lower incisor teeth was measured using a digital calibrated. All data were analyzed using SPSS program and simple descriptive statistics of MMO with regard to gender and age were reported. Results The mean maximal mouth opening for males was 49.35(4.5) mm and mean maximal mouth opening for females was 47. 11(4.7) mm. Mouth opening differences among different gender was compared which showed male had wider mouth opening but the difference was not statistically significant. Statistically significant differences were found between age groups. Conclusions The results of this study indicated that the positive relationship between MMO and age and the base line data was achieved in our study which needs to be validated further by conducting study in larger population.