Functional occlusal contacts of teeth in patients with periodontitis

The purpose of the study was to study the occlusal contacts of teeth in patients with periodontitis. Material and methods. A total of 15 dental patients aged from 20 to 44 years (young age) were examined, 10 of whom were diagnosed with generalized periodontitis of mild to moderate severity (main group), 5 patients had healthy periodontitis (control group). The condition of the periodontium in all examined patients was assessed by clinical methods and by x-ray examination. To obtain occludograms, we used Bausch horseshoe-shaped articulation paper (Crosstex) with a thickness of 75 µm, an occlusion (oral) mirror and a Canon EOS 850D camera. Occludegrams were obtained using articulation paper in the habitual (central) and anterior occlusions, not including the eighth teeth. Intensely colored areas (high pressure or strong contact) and unclear and weakly colored areas (medium or weak contacts, when there is no tight contact) were assessed. Results. It was found that the total number of occlusal contacts in individuals with healthy periodontium and with periodontitis is almost similar and on average varies from 27 to 33 points, which is consistent with the literature data. At the same time, in patients with healthy periodontium in habitual occlusion, there is a slightly larger total number of occlusal contacts, as well as the number of �strong� contacts, than in the group of patients with periodontitis. While in anterior occlusion, the lower jaw makes this movement when a person bites off a food substance, in the group of patients with periodontitis the number of contacts increases, although unreliably, but significantly the number of �strong� contacts increases to 5.5±5.1 instead of 2.4±2.5 (P<0.05) compared to patients in the control group. The total area of occlusal contacts and the area of �strong� contacts in 1.6 and 2.6 teeth of patients with periodontitis turned out to be significantly larger — 18.3±16.5 mm2 and 3.8±4.6 mm2, than in individuals with healthy periodontium — 16.1±15.8 mm2 (P<0.05) and 3.0±3.4 mm2 (P<0.05), which may be a sign of clinically asymptomatic pathological tooth abrasion. Conclusion. One of the signs of increased load on periodontal tissue during periodontitis is pathological abrasion of teeth, the elimination of which requires not selective grinding, but correction of the occlusal surface of the teeth, but only after restoration of tactile sensitivity of the periodontium through anti-inflammatory therapy and splinting of teeth.