The effect of orthodontic treatment on centric discrepancy

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of orthodontic treatment on centric discrepancy. Thirty-six orthodontic patients who had been treated with an edgewise appliance were selected for this study while 30 persons who had no history of orthodontic treatment were used as a control group. After recording centric relation using a leaf gauge, centric prematurity, and centric slide were compared using a SAM2 articulator and mandibular position indicator. Results indicated that the number of subjects with one prematurity was significantly greater in the control group (86.7%); however, the number of subjects with two or more prematurities was greater in the orthodontic treatment group (41.6%). The orthodontic treatment group showed more bilateral prematurities. There were no differences between the two groups with regard to the teeth involved in centric prematurities. Just considering the anatomic portion of teeth, centric prematurities were significantly associated with the buccal incline of the maxillary palatal cusp. There were no significant differences in the amount or direction of centric slide between the orthodontic and control groups. This study indicates that orthodontic treatment does not generally result in an increase in centric discrepancy.