Evaluation of total occlusal contact area in children with physiologic and distal occlusion

Relevance. Total occlusal contact area assessment is an important tool for malocclusion diagnosing and treatment planning in children. Purpose. The study aimed to evaluate (during six months) the effect of orthodontic treatment with plates and trainers on the change in the total occlusal contact area in children with distal occlusion compared to children with physiologic occlusion. Material and methods. The study groups included 145 children with distal occlusion: Group I (82 patients) was treated with a plate modified by AM Schwartz, and Group II (63 patients) had silicone trainers. The control group consisted of 42 children with physiologic occlusion who had not previously had orthodontic treatment. The T-Scan III assessed the total occlusal contact area before and during six months of treatment. Results. The analysis of total occlusal contact area changes in children with physiologic and distal occlusion revealed a statistically significant (p < 0,05) increase in the orthodontic treatment groups (plates and silicone trainers) in 3 and 6 months. Comparative analysis showed a smaller total occlusal contact area in children with distal occlusion before the treatment. Conclusion. Patients with distal occlusion demonstrated a smaller total occlusal contact area before the treatment compared to patients with physiologic occlusion. The children with distal occlusion showed a total occlusal contact area increase during 6-month orthodontic treatment.