Measure of bite force and occlusal contact area before and after bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy of the mandible using a new pressure-sensitive device: a preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined bite force and occlusal contact area in prognathic patients before and after bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy of the mandible using a newly developed pressure-sensitive sheet (Dental-Prescale, Fuji Photo Film Co, Tokyo, Japan).


METHODS
Twenty-five prognathic patients were examined. Bite force and occlusal contact area were measured preoperatively, at 2, 4, and 8 weeks, and at 3 and 6 months after surgery. The bite force and occlusal contact area of 20 healthy subjects were also measured.


RESULTS
Both bite force and occlusal contact area of the patients were the lowest 2 weeks after surgery and recovered to the preoperative level between 8 weeks and 3 months. Subsequently, they increased slowly and exceeded the preoperative level at 6 months after surgery. However, even at 6 months, both the bite force and the occlusal contact area of the patients were still only about half or less than that of healthy subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
This pressure-sensitive device can be used as a simple indicator of postoperative recovery and occlusal improvement in patients following orthognathic surgery.
Harada
K
K
Second Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan. harada.os2@dent.tmd.ac.jp
Watanabe
M
M
Ohkura
K
K
Enomoto
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001732:Bite Force; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007574:Jaw Relation Record / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery*; D010027:Osteotomy; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011312:Pressure; D011378:Prognathism / Q000601:surgery