Functional unilateral posterior crossbite effects on mastication movements using axiography

This prospective study investigated the influence of functional unilateral posterior crossbite on mastication movements. The study group included 16 patients (nine girls and seven boys) with functional unilateral posterior crossbite involving three or more posterior teeth. A control group comprised 15 individuals (nine girls and six boys) with normal occlusion and the mean age of both groups was 9.17 years. The mandibular masticatory movements were registered, using computer axiography, for 30 seconds during chewing to determine the preference side of chewing. The patterns of the first, third, and fifth chewing cycles were compared with the preference side to establish whether they would predict the chewing preference side. The extent of the maximal lateral and vertical displacements of the mandible during chewing were compared between study and control groups. This study found that overall the left side was the preferred mastication side in 43.7% of individuals in the study and 46.7% in the control group. There was no relationship between the side of the crossbite and the masticatory preference side (Mc Nemar test, P = .5). No correlation was present between the patterns of chewing movements in the first, third, or fifth cycles. Both study and control groups showed similar maximal lateral and vertical mandible displacement.