Relationship of mandibular condylar position to dental occlusion factors in an asymptomatic population

Abstract

This article investigates the influence of occlusion on condylar position as seen on TMJ tomograms in a group of 44 young adults with no histories of orthodontic or occlusal therapy and no objective signs of masticatory dysfunction; the sample was screened from a population of 253 students. Nonconcentric condylar position at ICP was a feature of Class II malocclusion with significantly more anterior positions in Class II, Division 1 than in Class I. Condylar position was unrelated to the amount of sagittal RCP-ICP slide, although most slides were <0.5 mm. The frequency of lateral slides was low, but was mildly related to bilaterally asymmetric condylar positions. Position was unrelated to the degree of overbite, which ranged from 0 to 10 mm. Bilateral condylar position asymmetry was not related to the direction of dental midline discrepancy, which ranged from 0 to 2 mm. No open bites or mandibular overjets were seen in this asymptomatic normal sample.