Distortion of Periodontal Tissue in Maxillary Molar Area during Biting Analyzed with Quasi-three Dimensional Measurement

Abstract

Distortion caused by occlusal force in the maxillary molar area was measured by tooth displacement without occlusion and proximal contact in both frontal and horizontal planes.
Displacement of the subject teeth in biting was determined by three-dimensional measurement of the physiological tooth displacement caused by the occlusal force of periodontal tissue in the maxillary molar area. The subject teeth were influenced slightly mesiodistally in the horizontal plane when the application site of the occlusal force was changed. On the other hand, they were almost constant in the frontal plane. This suggests that the movements of the basal part of the maxilla in the molar area were relatively constant with the occlusal force.
The displacement of other subject teeth, which have only mesial proximal contact, was changed from that of the above mentioned teeth. Therefore, it is very important to reconstruct both occlusal and proximal contacts without disturbing tooth displacement caused by the distortion of periodontal tissue during function.