EXPERIMENTAL OCCLUSAL INTERFERENCES .4. MANDIBULAR ROTATIONS INDUCED BY A PLIABLE INTERFERENCE

In 12 subjects, a pliable, yet unbreakable, intercuspal interference (aluminium shim onlay splint; uniform height of 0.25 mm) was placed between either the right or left maxillary and mandibular second premolars and first molars. During brief and forceful biting (dynamic chewing stroke of about 20 kg force) the interference emulated a semisoft food bolus, and at the end of biting (subsequent static clenching stroke of about 20 kg force) it emulated a rigid metal interference. During dynamic/static biting, rotational electrognathography measured maximum frontal and horizontal plane torque of the right and left mandibular condyles. Eleven subjects (92%) showed frontal plane upward rotation (mean of 1.0 degrees) of the condyle contralateral to the interference, and one subject (8%) showed frontal plane upward rotation (0.4 degrees) of the condyle ipsilateral to the interference. Two subjects (17%) showed no horizontal plane rotation; seven subjects (58%) showed backward rotation (mean of 0.4 degrees) of the condyle contralateral to the interference; and three subjects (25%) showed backward rotation (mean of 0.3 degrees) of the condyle ipsilateral to the interference. It is suggested that, in the presence of an occlusal interference, mastication may have both short- and long-term detrimental effects.