Abstract
This study was to examine changes in occlusal contacts during lateral excursion in children with mixed dentition using a computerized occlusal analysis system, T-scan II . After investigating the effects of posture on occlusion in adults, the occlusal contact relationship during lateral excursion in children with mixed dentition was observed.Subjects examined were twelve children with mixed dentition and normal occlusion, and six adult men with normal occlusion.The results showed that in both upright and supine positions, the occlusal contact area increased with time from the first occlusal contact to the intercuspal position, and the left-right balance of occlusion tended to stabilize faster in the upright position when compared to the supine position. Both occlusion time and disclusion time were significantly shorter in the children than the adults, and while lateral excursion resulted in group functioned occlusion in most subjects, it resulted in full balanced occlusion in only some subjects. In the children with mixed dentition, disclusion time was not significantly correlated to overbite or overjet, but it exhibited a significant negative correlation to load changes. The degree of changes in load and occlusal contact points on the balancing side during lateral excursion in children with mixed dentition was small during the first half of excursion and large during the second half of excursion. Also, the center of force (COF) of children with mixed dentition tended to change markedly during the second half of excursion when compared to the first half.In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the change in occlusal contacts during lateral excursion in children reflected the characteristics of occlusion with mixed dentition and the jaw movement of children, which differed from those of adults with permanent dentition.
