Bite force discrimination by individuals with complete dentures.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences existed in interincisor bite force discrimination between a group of subjects wearing complete dentures and a group of dentate individuals. It was hypothesized that biting force is monitored at least in part by the sensory mechanism within the PDL and that the absence of the PDL would result in reduced bite force discrimination. A specially designed strain gauge scale was constructed for the measurement of bite force. Bite force discrimination was assessed at three different standards including 500, 1000, and 3000 gm. Data analysis revealed that, overall, bite force discrimination was not significantly different for the two groups. However, at the lightest standard of 500 gm, the dentate group performed significantly better (p less than .05) than the denture wearers. It is concluded that the sensory system within the PDL plays a role in monitoring bite force discrimination.