OCCLUSAL INTERFERENCES IN ASSOCIATION WITH TEETH LEFT IN THE LINE OF MANDIBULAR FRACTURES

In order to evaluate whether teeth left in the line of mandibular frac ture can predispose to occlusal interferences, the contact relationshi ps between the maxillary and mandibular teeth in 37 mandibular corpus fracture patients were examined on the average 41 months after the inj ury. Control group consisted of 27 healthy dental students. It was sho wn that occlusal interferences were encountered in 38% (16/42) of teet h in the line of mandibular fracture in 38% (16/42) of their anterior and in 32% (9/28) of their posterior ones. Similar examination in the control group revealed interferences in 28% (113/400) so the ones foun d in teeth in the line of mandibular fractures can be supposed to have been caused by the injury and/or its treatment. It is also concluded that whether or not the interferences found in these patients were cau sed by the injury or its treatment or were signs of individual range t hey should be corrected with occlusal adjustment to prevent further pa thological changes in these teeth and in the function of the masticato ry system.