2018 Volume 25 Issue 1 Pages 1-9
Purpose: Tooth wear is related to occlusal contact area. The aim of this study was to investigate which behavioural factors associated with tooth wear influenced occlusal contacts.
Methods: Forty-six volunteers (35 men, 11 women, 23 ± 2 years old) participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants answered a questionnaire about daytime and night-time habits (sleep bruxism, sleeping in prone position, habitual continuous tooth contact, resting the chin on the hand, poor daytime body posture, habitually drinking soft drink or isotonic drink, habitually drinking alcohol, and habitually eating hard food). Occlusal contact area (OCA) and occlusal contact points (OCPs) were computed from silicone occlusal registration records at the intercuspal position using an occlusal contact visualizing and analysing device. Occlusal contact was defined as any area with a thickness of ≤ 50 μm on the occlusal registration record.
Results: Smaller OCA and fewer OCPs were found in participants with self-reported sleep bruxism (SB) than in those without SB (27.3 ± 13.8 mm2 vs 36.2 ± 13.1 mm2, 38.1 ± 9.2 points vs 48.1 ± 12.2 points). Participants who habitually rested their chin on their hand had a smaller OCA than those without this habit (25.7 ± 11.5 mm2 vs 37.0 ± 13.9 mm2). Participants with an alcohol drinking habit had a greater OCA than non-drinkers (40.6 ± 15.1 mm2 vs 29.1 ± 12.5 mm2). Awareness of prone sleeping, habitual continuous tooth contact (including daytime clenching), poor daytime body posture, habitually drinking soft drinks or isotonic drinks and habitually eating hard food did not influence either OCA or OCP. Binomial logistic regression analysis revealed that for OCA, self-reported SB and resting the chin on the hand were significant negative predictors (β = −0.282, −0.351, respectively), while drinking alcohol was a positive predictor (β = 0.370).
Conclusions: Self-reported SB, resting the chin on the hand, and habitually drinking alcohol influenced OCA. Dental clinicians should inform patients with tooth wear about habits likely to influence OCA.
