An assessment of masticatory efficiency and occlusal load distribution in adolescent patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with functional jaw orthopedics: A prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Functional jaw orthopaedics, produces a radical change in the occlusal scheme and the masticatory apparatus, particularly in patients with Class II malocclusion. It remains to be seen how the changes brought about by a functional appliance alter the masticatory ability of a growing child, who needs the necessary nutrition to properly grow the craniofacial region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pretreatment and Post-treatment values of masticatory efficiency and the distribution of the occlusal load at centric occlusion were evaluated and compared for 20 patients with Class II division 1 malocclusion undergoing functional jaw orthopaedics. RESULTS: Significant increase in the masticatory efficiency was seen during and after treatment (p < 0.5) There was an increase in the anterior distribution of occlusal load associated with a concomitant decrease in the posterior region at centric occlusion. CONCLUSION: Improvement in the masticatory efficiency was observed after treatment of a retrognathic mandible with functional jaw orthopaedics in the adolescent participants with Class II malocclusion. This highlights the importance of treatment with functional jaw orthopaedics, which apart from providing esthetic and functional improvement also improves the ability of a growing child to extract proper nutrition from his/her diet.