Functional assessment of the stomatognathic system. Part 1: The role of static elements of analysis

Objectives: To review the elements of static analysis in the func attempted to describe a structure-function correlation within tional assessment of the stomatognathic system, as promoted the stomatognathic system by means of a model whose princi for more than a century by gnathologists, and summarize the ples were static and mechanistic references. No scientific valida available scientific evidence, including anthropologic observa tion was ever achieved, placing clinical and research consensus tions. Method and materials: A thorough search was con out of reach. Conclusions: A historical perspective helps to place ducted using PubMed, the Cochrane Library database, and the fundamentals of gnathology into context: They were con Google Scholar. From peer-reviewed articles and other scien ceived to solve technical difficulties but were then assumed to tific literature, up-to-date information addressing three topics be physiologic stereotypes. This misconception led to a dec was identified: (a) the anthropologic perspective with particular ades-long promotion of mechanistic theories to describe oral consideration for the role of progressive dental wear over time, function, but the evidence available today supports a more flex (b) descriptions of gnathologic principles and evidence on their ible and adaptable approach. Gnathologic arguments have been scientific validity, and (c) the methodologic inaccuracies intro relegated to become exclusively of technical relevance in oral duced by seeking to correlate variables directly rather than al rehabilitation. (Quintessence Int 2021;52:920–932; lowing for causal inference. Results: For decades gnathology doi: 10.3290/j.qi.b2077573).