Changes in occlusal force and occlusal contact area after active orthodontic treatment: a pilot study using pressure-sensitive sheets

The aim of this study was to investigate functional changes in occlusion during retention. Data on occlusal force (OcFr) and occlusal contact area (OcAr) was obtained using the pressure-sensitive sheet, from a treated group (20 female patients) who had had four premolar extractions and treatment with standard edgewise appliances, and a control sample who matched the treated group of retainer for sex, age and Angle classification at 1 year after removal. A repeated measures analysis of variance showed that the mean values of total OcFr and OcAr in the treatment group gradually increased during retention and were 669.3 N and 15.1 mm2, respectively, at 1 year after removal of retainer. The increases of OcFr and OcAr were larger in the molar region, especially at the second molar. At 1 year after removal of retainer, OcFr and OcAr in the second molar were significantly larger in the treatment group than in the control sample, and a similar distribution pattern of OcFr and OcAr to those in normal occlusion was seen. These results suggested that balanced OcFr and OcAr might be obtained during and after retention, due to the settling of molars that had been discluded by active orthodontic treatment.