Number and intensity of occlusal contacts following surgical correction of mandibular prognathism.

The aim of the present investigation was to study the changes in the number and intensity of occlusal tooth contacts in the intercuspal position following surgical correction of mandibular prognathism. The study sample consisted of 33 adults with mandibular prognathism whose management included bilateral vertical ramus set-back osteotomy and combined orthodontic treatment. Measurement of the number and intensity of occlusal tooth contacts was performed by means of the photocclusion technique. Recordings of the number and intensity of occlusal contacts were made 1 day before operation and 6 months post-surgery. Testing of the differences of the means for both the number of occlusal contacts and their intensity between the two phases was achieved by means of a paired t-test. The results of the study showed that the combined orthodontic and surgical treatment produced a significant increase (P less than 0.001) in the number and intensity of occlusal contacts (4.54 and 160 kg mm-2 respectively). However, whether this increase in occlusal contacts resulted in an overall improvement in craniomandibular functional status cannot be answered by the present study.