Dental occlusion and postural control in adults

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Neuroscience
• Dental Science

Background:

• Postural control relies on integrating sensory information from visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems.
• The role of dental occlusion as a somatosensory input influencing postural stability is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of different dental occlusion conditions on postural control.
• To determine if dental occlusion impacts postural stability differently under static versus dynamic conditions and with varying visual input.

Main Methods:

• Participants performed postural tasks under three dental occlusion conditions: Rest Position, Maximal Intercuspal Occlusion, and Thwarted Laterality Occlusion (simulated malocclusion).
• Postural control was assessed on static and dynamic platforms with eyes open and eyes closed.
• Key parameters analyzed included average speed and power indexes of postural sway, and head stabilization.

Main Results:

• A significant decay in postural control was observed in the Thwarted Laterality Occlusion condition compared to Rest Position, particularly in dynamic conditions with eyes closed.
• Despite impaired postural control, head position and stabilization remained consistent, indicating compensatory mechanisms.
• The study found that dental occlusion primarily affected postural control in dynamic conditions and when visual cues were absent.

Conclusions:

• Dental occlusion significantly influences postural control, with effects varying based on task difficulty and visual feedback.
• Impaired dental occlusion (malocclusion) increases the energetic cost of maintaining postural stability, especially in dynamic situations lacking visual input.
• Somatosensory information from dental occlusion becomes crucial for postural control when other sensory cues are diminished, underscoring its importance in sensorimotor integration.