Bite force in Iraqi children in relation to teeth contact and mandibular incisors angulation

Abstract

Clinical and animal experiments have demonstrated the role of masticatory muscle
function in normal and abnormal dentofacial development. This study was aimed at
observing the role of antagonistic tooth contacts in the value of maximum bite force
among a sample of Iraqi children and to seek the existence of a correlation between
maximum bite force and the angulations of the mandibular incisors.
Maximum bite force was measured in 46 children (23 males and 23 females). The
teeth that occluded with its antagonist were counted clinically and the children were
then classified as those with full contact of opposing teeth and those with partial
contact. The angle of inclination of the mandibular incisors was obtained by
cephalometric lateral views for each child.
Maximum biting force was higher in children with full contact of teeth than in
children with partial contact of teeth. The difference was statistically insignificant. A
clear correlation existed between maximum bite force and the angulations of the
mandibular incisors.
Maximum biting force affected the inclination of the mandibular incisors.
No difference was found in the value of maximum biting force between patients
with full contact of teeth and those with partial contacts.