Lateral occlusion schemes in natural and minimally restored permanent dentition: a systematic review

Clinicians commonly encounter the dilemma of which lateral occlusion schemes is most suitable for a specific patient. The aim of this review is to evaluate the prevalence of the lateral occlusion schemes that exist naturally. An electronic search was completed through PubMed (MEDLINE), Google Scholar and Cochrane Library. The search was confined to peer-reviewed studies published in English, up to April 2013. The literature search was supplemented by manual searching through the bibliography lists of the selected studies. The initial search retrieved a total of 575 studies. After applying the selection criteria, only 12 studies were suitable for inclusion. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tools were utilised to appraise the quality of the studies. The prevalence of canine-guided, group function and balanced occlusions was reported. Overall, there was a clear variability between the studies. The prevalence of the lateral occlusion schemes appears to be influenced by the following factors: (i) the magnitude of excursion, (ii) an individual's age and (iii) the static occlusal relationship. During complete excursion, the canine-guided occlusion tends to be more frequently observed. After partial excursion, the most prevalent lateral occlusion schemes was group function occlusion. With ageing, the prevalence of canine-guided occlusion tends to be reduced and the prevalence of group function occlusion is increased. Dentition that is closer to Class II occlusion exhibits mainly canine-guided occlusion, while for Class III occlusion, group function occlusion is more prevalent. The studies revealed no relationship between the lateral occlusion schemes and TMD development.