Changes in occlusal bite force following placement of preformed metal crowns on primary molars in 4-6 years old children: a 6 months' follow-up pilot study.

AIM

To evaluate the occlusal bite force (OBF) changes 6 months after placement of preformed metal crowns PMCs on primary molars in children.

METHOD

Twenty-two subjects (aged 5.08 ± 0.92 years) participated and completed OBF records. Each patient received eight PMCs on their primary molars. OBF was recorded using a battery-operated portable type of OBF gauge at different time intervals: before placement, 1 week-, 1 month-, 2 months-, 3 months-, and 6 months after PMCs placement (T0-T5). A second group consisted of 22 caries-free children matched for age and gender were selected as a control sample and received no dental treatment. OBF was recorded in these subjects at T0 and T5 (6 months after).

RESULTS

OBF was reduced the first week after placement of PMCs. However, the OBF was restored and reached its original value at T4. At the 6-month recall visit (T5), maximum occlusal bite force (MOBF) was 148% and 136% of pre-treatment value on right and left sides, respectively. The mean MOBF difference between T5 and T0 was statistically significant (70.83N and 54.67N on the right and left sides respectively, p < 0.000).

CONCLUSION

OBF decreased 1 week after placement of PMC restoration and started to increase after 1 month reaching 136-140% of its original value after 6 months.