Bite force and occlusal contact area changes following mandibular widening using distraction osteogenesis.
OBJECTIVE
To examine changes in bite force and occlusal contact area after mandibular widening by distraction osteogenesis using pressure-sensitive sheet (Dental-Prescale; Fuji Photo Film, Tokyo, Japan).


METHODS
Fifteen patients with transverse mandibular deficiency (6 to 9 mm, mean distraction interval: 8 mm) were examined. They were measured just before the operation and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the operation. Ten control subjects with normal occlusion were also measured.


RESULTS
Both bite force and occlusal contact area were lowest at 1 month postoperatively. The values of bite force and occlusal contact area steadily increased thereafter. The bite force and occlusal contact area reached to the preoperative levels at 6 months after operation and slightly above the preoperative level at 12 months after operation. There were no statistically significant differences between 12 months and the control values for bite force measurements (P > .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Although statistically not significant, this study suggests that mandibular symphyseal distraction osteogenesis increases the bite force and occlusal contact area in patients with transverse mandibular deficiency.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey. alpera@omu.edu.tr
Alper
A
Alkan
Selim
S
Arici
Shuichi
S
Sato
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001732:Bite Force; D002680:Chin / Q000601:surgery; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007574:Jaw Relation Record; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000601:surgery*; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009971:Orthodontics, Corrective; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric