Facial dimensions, bite force and masticatory muscle thickness in preschool children with functional posterior crossbite

Abstract

Posterior crossbite may affect craniofacial growth and development. Thus, this study aimed to associate facial dimensions (by standardized frontal photographs) to masseter and anterior portion of the temporal muscle thickness (by ultrasonography) and maximal bilateral bite force in 49 children with deciduous and early mixed dentitions. They were distributed in four groups: deciduous-normal occlusion (DNO, n = 15), deciduous-crossbite (DCB, n = 10), mixed-normal occlusion (MNO, n = 13) and mixed-crossbite (MCB, n = 11). Anterior facial height (AFH), bizygomatic width (FWB), and intergonial width (FWI) were determined and associated with muscle thickness and bite force, applying Pearson's coefficients and multiple logistic regression, with age, gender, body weight and height as the covariates. FWB and FWI were correlated positively with the masseter thickness, whereas AFH/FWB and AFH/FWI ratios had negative correlation, except in the DNO group. The correlation between AFH/FWB and bite force in the MCB group was significantly negative. A higher AFH/FWB in MNO and MCB led to a significantly higher probability for functional crossbite development. In the studied sample, it was observed that children in the early mixed dentition with a long-face trend showed lower bite force and higher probability to present functional posterior crossbite, without significant influence of the covariates.

A Clinical Review of Crossbite in an Orthodontic Population

“…20,23 Smaller maxillary to mandibular dental arch width ratio and lower facial height were two variables most associated with a patient's likelihood of having skeletal posterior crossbite. 11,24 Dental asymmetry rather than skeletal asymmetry is the primary contributor to posterior crossbite 12 . The present study showed that posterior crossbite occurred in 10% of the total patients seen.…”

Mandibular morphology in two archaeological human skeletal samples from northwest Europe with different masticatory regimes

“…Although some work has been undertaken on transverse mandibular widths, using antero-posterior radiographs or other images or else measurements taken directly on the head, they have in general been less studied. Weis andHillen (1986), van Spronson et al (1991) and Castelo et al (2008) found bigonial breadth to be positively correlated with greater development of the masticatory musculature, but Ingervall and Helkimo, (1978) found no relationship with maximum bite force. van Spronson et al (1991) found a positive relationship between bicondylar width and masticatory muscle development.…”

Electromyographic activity of masticatory muscles in women with osteoporosis

“…Its high precision charge cell and electronic circuit indicate the force and supply precise and easily readable measures on the digital display. The diameter of the arms, together, is of approximately 10 mm, adequate for an oral aperture that does not interfere in the force employed, preventing muscular strain (or even suboptimal sarcomere length) and exaggerated displacement of the condyles (20). Maximal molar bite force (to the right and left sides), as in the case of dental clenching, was greater in control subjects.…”