Occlusal interferences related to dental panoramic radiographic changes in subjects treated with fixed prosthesis.

ABSTRACT

Because of contradictory reports between clinical and radiographic findings, occlusal analysis correlated to dental panoramic findings was completed in 147 patients treated with fixed prosthesis. Both occlusal interferences and radiographic changes in the TMJ area and/or in dentition were frequently discovered. Dysfunction and occlusal indices gave statistically significant correlations to radiographic changes (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.05, respectively) in the TMJ area. Periodontal changes with vertical bone pocket formation and sclerotic lamina dura seem to be early radiographic findings and occlusal interferences were the only means to give a clear-cut correlation to the radiographic changes (P less than 0.001). However, if periodontal tissues with supporting bone structure fail to respond to occlusal trauma, changes in the TMJ area will probably appear. From the clinical changes the deviation on mouth opening, tenderness to palpation of TMJ, and slide from retrusion to intercuspidation (RP-IP) explained most of the radiological TMJ changes when tested by the discriminant analysis. The value of radiographic follow-up of subjects following prosthetic treatment is emphasized.