STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF SELECTIVE OCCLUSAL ADJUSTMENT THERAPY ON THE BACTERIOLOGICAL PROFILE IN OCCLUSAL TRAUMA

Abstract

The decisive role of chronic occlusal trauma in causing tissue stress is widely recognized. It could be the condition that facilitates bacterial infection of the periodontium and the transformation of saprophytic flora into opportunistic pathogens. Abnormal stressors such as malocclusion, parafunctions, and lingual dysfunction are present in the vast majority of cases of chronic gingival and periodontal inflammation. Treatment involving occlusal balancing by selective occlusal adjustment generates enormous changes in dental and periodontal areas regarding microcirculation, leading to improved tissue tropism and, consequently, bacterial dynamics. This study aimed to determine the benefits of treating periodontitis patients with combined occlusal adjustment and oral hygiene procedures compared to oral hygiene procedures used alone. The results show that one month after treatment, the bacterial flora of patients in group 2, treated by occlusal adjustment and dental hygiene procedures, showed a significantly higher cocci content than Group 1, treated only by oral hygiene. This difference reached an extremely high significance level (p <0.001) three months after treatment and remained at this level until the end of the follow-up period. The monitoring of conventional periodontal parameters must be supplemented with the assessment of the bacterial profile, combined with the evaluation of the biomechanics of the stomatognathic apparatus and, in particular, of the occlusal relationship. This approach may allow better therapeutic planning and better management of patients with periodontal disease.

Keywords

• periodontitis
• occlusal trauma
• microbiological profile
• selective occlusal adjustment