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Dental occlusion and body posture: no detectable correlation.

Perinetti G

Department of Oral Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy. Perinetti@negrisud.it

The present study was designed to determine if a correlation could be found between dental occlusion and body posture through posturography. Twenty-six healthy subjects (mean age 26.8+/-5.3 years) were monitored under opposing visual (eyes open/closed) and dental occlusion (mandibular rest/intercuspidation positions) conditions. The spatial (absolute displacement of centre of pressure from the theoretical point; ACOPD) and dynamic (sway area, length and velocity) posturographic parameters were recorded. Statistically significant differences were found among the experimental conditions for all of the variables except for ACOPD. Dynamic posturographic parameters were higher for eyes closed versus eyes open under both mandibular positions, although there were no differences between mandibular rest position and dental intercuspidation under the different visual conditions. This study thus shows no detectable correlation at the posturography level between dental occlusion and body posture.

Published 11 September 2006 in Gait Posture, 24(2): 165-8.
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