The Prevalence of Occlusal Disharmony and Its Associated Causes in Complete Dentures

Abstract

Aim: Occlusal disharmony is frequently observed among edentulous patients. With the side effects of occlusal disharmony in mind, the goal of this research was to investigate the prevalence of occlusal disharmony in inserted complete dentures and its associated causes. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 107 selected patients. Factors such as age, gender, ridge relationship on the articulator, occlusal scheme, and the performance of a clinical remount from patients' treatment records were investigated. The presence and/or status of any occlusal disharmony was determined by a calibrated prosthodontist extraorally and qualitatively. Occlusal disharmony is defined as the absence of simultaneous bilateral contacts between the opposing posterior teeth in centric relation. The prevalence of occlusal disharmony was determined and the roles of the aforementioned factors were studied and analyzed using a Chisquare analysis. The results were considered significant at p<0.05. Results: Out of 107 patients, 31 patients (28.8%) showed occlusal disharmony. No statistically significant relationship was found between occlusal disharmony and age, gender, ridge relationships, or occlusal scheme (p<0.5). Twenty-five (81%) out of 31 complete dentures with occlusal disharmony were not clinically remounted. There was a highly significant relationship between the absence of clinical remounting and occlusal disharmony (p<0.001). Conclusion: Within the limits of this study, the prevalence of occlusal disharmony was noticeable. A randomized clinical trial is strongly recommended to investigate factors related to the incidence of occlusal disharmony. Clinical Significance: It is important to refine the occlusion of a complete denture after laboratory processing of the denture before it is delivered to the patient.