Relationship between bite force, occlusal contact area, and three-dimensional facial soft tissue in dentofacial deformities.
Joana Carolina Martins Simões, Denny Marcos Garcia, Francisco Veríssimo De Mello-Filho and 2 others
PMID 38695438WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with Class II or Class III dentofacial deformities had significantly lower bite force and occlusal contact area than healthy controls.
Increased chin height was associated with weaker bite force. These morphological deficits exist before surgery and may inform myofunctional therapy planning.
Key findings
01Maximum bite force and occlusal contact area were significantly lower in both Class II and Class III dentofacial deformity groups compared to healthy controls.
02There was no significant difference in bite force or occlusal contact area between the Class II and Class III deformity groups.
03Facial soft tissue dimensions, particularly increased chin height and middle face width, showed significant correlations with bite force magnitude.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling, resulting in a much smaller group of Class II patients (20) compared to Class III (32). Participants were undergoing preparatory orthodontic treatment, which can itself reduce bite force and occlusal contact area due to dental decompensation. The study was cross-sectional, so it shows association but cannot prove that facial shape causes the bite force reduction. Exclusion criteria removed patients with temporomandibular disorders and previous myofunctional therapy, limiting generalizability to complex cases.
Declared interests
Funded by the University of São Paulo Provost’s Office for Research. The first author received a CAPES fellowship. No commercial conflicts declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that Class II and Class III deformities have different functional impacts on bite force. The study found no significant difference in bite force or occlusal contact area between these two groups, despite their distinct facial morphologies.