title: Assessment of occlusion after placement of stainless steel crowns in children - a pilot study.
abstract: Many stainless steel crowns (SSCs) disrupt the occlusion in children, but stabilisation appears to occur within a short period post-placement. The extent and mechanism of these short-term occlusal changes in children are unknown. This study sought to determine whether placement of a SSC changes the maximum intercuspation position (MIP) in children, whether the MIP returns to normal within 4 weeks and whether local anaesthesia had an effect on the child's ability to achieve MIP. The T-Scan(®) III was used for the measurement of occlusal contacts. Reliability and reproducibility of the system was determined using a calibration exercise where MIP recordings were taken of eleven children not undergoing any dental treatment. For the main study, the percentage of total occlusal force on each tooth was recorded in 20 children preoperatively, after local anaesthesia, after SSC placement and 4 weeks postoperatively. There was no significant difference in MIP (P = 0·435) preoperatively and post-administration of local anaesthesia. There was a significant difference between the preoperative force on a tooth and the reading after crown placement (P = 0·0013, Wilcoxon test). By 4 weeks, there was no significant difference overall between post-SSC placement and the preoperative value for the tooth (P = 0·3). Administration of local anaesthesia did not affect the ability of a child to attain MIP. Maximum intercuspation position was disturbed by the placement of a SSC in seven of 20 cases. When MIP was disturbed, in most cases, it returned to preoperative status within 4 weeks of crown placement.
authors.affiliation: Division of Public and Child Dental Health, Dublin Dental University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: O'Connell
mesh_terms: D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000009:adverse effects; D001732:Bite Force; D002648:Child; D003442:Crowns / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003722:Dental Alloys / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013193:Stainless Steel; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003722:Dental Alloys; D013193:Stainless Steel
keywords: crowns; dental care for children; dental materials; dental occlusion; local anaesthesia; paediatric dentistry; restorative dentistry