Occlusal perception and bite force in young subjects with and without dental fillings

Interocclusal thickness discrimination (occlusal perception) and bite force was investigated in 29 young adults (16-18 years old). Thirteen individuals had intact dentitions (group I), whereas 16 individuals had minor restorations in posterior teeth (group C). Bite force was tested during 'gentle biting', 'biting as when chewing', and 'maximal clenching'. Endurance tests and bite force discrimination tests were also performed. The best occlusal perception was found in the incisor region in both groups, whereas the occlusal perception was somewhat smaller in the canine and premolar regions. Fifty-four per cent of the subjects in group I and 81% in group C reached certain perceptiveness at the 9-micron level. There were no statistically significant differences between test locations or groups, however. Group I had a significantly greater bite force in the incisor region during gentle biting than group C. The maximal bite force was on an average 532 N in group I and 516 N in group C. In the endurance tests, group I could withstand the muscle fatigue longer than group C, but the difference was not statistically significant. In the bite force discrimination test both groups showed a similar pattern. Group I showed a closer correlation than group C between recordings in a test of stepwise increase of force and a randomized test of five force levels. Both groups appeared functionally normal in the masticatory system and reacted similarly in the physiologic experiments.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)