CRANIOFACIAL MORPHOLOGY OCCLUSAL TRAITS, AND BITE FORCE IN PERSONS WITH ADVANCED OCCLUSAL TOOTH WEAR

The aim of this study was to investigate the dentofacial structure, th e occlusal traits, and the bite force in subjects with advanced occlus al wear. The material comprised 54 adults, 30 men ((x) over bar = 40 y ears, range 16 to 61) and 24 women ((x) over bar = 28 years, range 18 to 47), most of whom had a full or near-full complement of natural tee th, and the presence of occlusal wear. Craniofacial structure was stud ied on lateral cephalograms. Occlusal traits were examined on study ca sts, these serving also for an evaluation of occlusal wear to be carri ed out by using an ordinal scale. Bite forces were recorded at differi ng force levels (maximum biting, ''biting as when chewing'' and ''ligh t biting'') and occlusal positions. Although maximum bite force and en durance time did not differ significantly between men and women, the l evel of bite force was high compared with other samples. The craniofac ial structure of the sample was characterized by a deviation in the ve rtical direction, a small angle between the mandibular-palatal planes and a small genial angle, as compared with Swedish adult norms. No sig nificant differences were found in anteroposterior relationships betwe en persons with advanced wear and normal standards. The results suppor t the hypothesis that functional hyperactivity of the masticatory syst em imposed increased stress on the bony structures of the craniofacial complex with possible influences on its structure.