title: Selection of criteria for assessment of occlusal acceptability.
abstract: There is no general agreement on criteria that could be applied to distinguish between orthodontically acceptable and non-acceptable occlusions after the completion of dental development. The aim of the present study was to analyse morphological and functional features that could be used as an index to define an acceptable occlusion in young adults. Three expert panels representing specialists in orthodontics and stomatognathic physiology participated in a modified Delphi method. Each panel responded to a questionnaire concerning the usefulness of various occlusal features, and a set of characteristics was selected on the basis of the responses; thereafter, applicability of the chosen characteristics and their cut-offs for an acceptable non-acceptable dichotomy was tested clinically. To obtain a consensus level of 100%, the last panel session was completed with a group discussion. Assessments made using the morphological criteria were compared with those made with the dental health component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. The selected morphological characteristics consisted of overjet, overbite, canine relationship, crossbite, scissors bite and midline deviation. The functional evaluation comprised assessments of discrepancy between the centric relation and the intercuspal position, working- and non-working-side contacts and protrusion contacts. The dental health component and our morphological criteria showed different sensitivity to contact point displacements, interdigitation in buccal segments and increased overbite. This study provides a set of morphological and functional indicators reflecting the current consensus opinion of Finnish professionals. Further studies are needed to analyse the reproducibility of assessment of the characteristics included.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland. anlisve@utu.fi
authors.forename: Anna-Liisa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Svedström-Oristo
authors.forename: Terttu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pietilä
authors.forename: Ilpo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pietilä
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helenius
authors.forename: Pentti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peutzfeldt
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Varrela
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016302:Centric Relation; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003481:Cuspid / Q000473:pathology; D003697:Delphi Technique; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D003767:Dental Occlusion, Balanced; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000145:classification* / Q000473:pathology; D020380:Needs Assessment; D024343:Open Bite / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology; D009909:Oral Health; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000592:standards; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013284:Stomatognathic System / Q000502:physiology