CORRELATION BETWEEN MAXIMUM BITE FORCE AND FACIAL MORPHOLOGY IN CHILDREN

The correlation between maximum bite force and facial morphology was s tudied in 54 boys, 8 to 16 years old, and 66 girls, 7 to 17 years old. Bite force was measured at the first molars with a miniature bite for ce recorder. Facial morphology was evaluated on profile cephalograms. In addition, the number of teeth in contact in the intercuspal positio n was recorded with occlusal foils. In the girls, maximum bite force w as correlated with the inclination of the mandible, the size of the ge nial angle, and the ratio between posterior and anterior face heights. The correlations implied a large bite force with a small mandibular i nclination and genial angle, a large posterior face height in relation to the anterior face height, and a small bite force with the opposite facial characteristics. These correlations were nonexistent or weaker in boys. In both sexes, bite force was correlated with the number of occlusal contacts. Elimination of the influence of age and occlusal co ntact in the group of girls by the use of partial correlations reduced the correlation between bite force and facial morphology. A significa nt correlation with the size of the genial angle remained, however, an d the correlation with mandibular inclination was close to significanc e. In addition to the correlations found with facial morphology, the s tudy clearly demonstrated the need to take gender and occlusal contact s into consideration in future studies of masticatory muscle function and strength in relation to facial morphology.