The relationship between body balance and occlusal balance of Japanese children during the deciduous dentition period

The relationship between children's deciduous dentition occlusal balance and body's gravity center movement was studied. The participants of this study were 128 children with Hellman's Dental Age IIA stage at a nursery school. The distance and the area of gravity center movement (GCM) when the participants had their eyes-opened and eyes-closed were measured with automatic posture analytical devices. Occlusal abilities including occlusal contact area, average pressure, maximum occlusal pressure, occlusal force and occlusal balance were measured with the Dental Prescale® system. Analysis of occlusal balance was determined by separating the middle group (|x|≤5mm) from the deflection group (|x|>5 mm) based on the position of occlusal balance center. A significant difference was found between the occlusal balance of the middle group (n=96) and the occlusal balance of the deflection group (n=32) in the distance and area of gravity center movement with eyes-opened and closed. The distance and area of gravity center movement of the middle group was less than that of the deflection group. Analysis of body balance was determined by the good balance group and bad balance group based on the GCM area with eyes-closed. A difference was found between the good balance group and the bad balance group in the occlusal contact area and occlusal force. The occlusal contact area and occlusal force of good balance group were higher than the bad balance group. Body and occlusal balance was observed to have some interactive influence during Hellman's Dental Age IIA period. The influence of occlusal balance on body balance is much stronger and obvious than the influence of body balance over occlusal balance. Occlusal balance can influence on the body balance most of the time while body balance can sometimes influence on the occlusal balance.