title: A computerized method for evaluating balance of occlusal load.
abstract: In order to undertake a quantitative evaluation of balance occlusal load, the use of the Dental Prescale System was investigated. The method uses a test sheet that undergoes a colour-developing chemical reaction, for detecting contact area, and a computerized analysis system, for evaluating the balance of occlusal load. Twenty natural dentate subjects and 10 hemimaxillectomy patients participated in the study. Each subject bit a test sheet as hard as possible for 3 s. The balance of occlusal load was expressed as a percentage of the load on the side with the lesser occlusive load (%OLR). The %OLR ranged from 39.7% to 49.4% in the natural dentate subjects, and from 0% to 31.3% in the hemimaxillectomy patients at their resection site. The patients' low %OLRs were attributed to loss of sustaining structure and subjective occlusal adjustment by clinicians. Combining technical simplicity, relatively high reproducibility, and diverse analysis capability, this system is useful for quantitative evaluation of balance of occlusal load in clinical situations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Michi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamagata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001732:Bite Force; D003116:Color; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003199:Computer Systems; D003767:Dental Occlusion, Balanced; D003817:Dentition; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D007574:Jaw Relation Record / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000601:surgery; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D019558:Occlusal Adjustment; D010158:Palatal Obturators; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents