The influence of forward head posture on dental occlusion

A well established premise in the field of craniomandibular and cervical spine orthopedics is that forward head posture (FHP) adversely affects mandibular position and therefore dental occlusion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of FHP on the initial occlusal contact pattern (IOCP) in order to provide further clarification on this important topic. Thirty-nine healthy subjects, 10-74 years old, underwent a series of tests in which the IOCP was recorded in four different head positions using the T-Scan Occlusal Diagnostic System. Three tests each were performed in military posture (MP), natural sitting posture (NP), FHP, and maximal forward head posture (MFHP) for a total of twelve trials. A repeated measures analysis of variance failed to demonstrate a correlation between FHP and IOCP; however, a multiple linear regression analysis revealed a relationship between age and the IOCP. This study raises questions about the relationship between FHP and occlusion.