Posterior Bite Collapse and Diagnostic Grading for Periodontitis

The syndrome known as posterior bite collapse (PBC) has taken on multiple definitions over the years since its first introduction in 1964 by Morton Amsterdam and Leonard Abrams. In 2017, the World Workshop in the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions proposed a staging system for periodontitis, defined by severity and extent of periodontal breakdown. Within this staging system, Stage IV periodontitis can include PBC. However, without a clear delineation regarding the clinical presentation or pathogenesis of PBC, this further obfuscates its definition. It is therefore the goal of this article to reexamine the original definition of PBC as defined by Amsterdam and Abrams, present an updated definition, and propose a clinical grading system of PBC to coincide with the 2017 staging of periodontitis.