Digital imaging of patterns of dental wear to diagnose bruxism in children

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Digital imaging of patterns of dental wear to diagnose bruxism in children
Issue online:
30 May 2006
To cite this article: C. RESTREPO, A. PEL°EZ, E. ALVAREZ, C. PAUCAR, P. ABAD (2006)
Digital imaging of patterns of dental wear to diagnose bruxism in children
International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 16 (4), 278Ň285.
doi:10.1111/j.1365-263X.2006.00756.x
International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
Blackwell Synergy

C. RESTREPO11CES-LPH Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud CES, MedellĂn, Colombia, , A. PEL°EZ11CES-LPH Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud CES, MedellĂn, Colombia, , E. ALVAREZ22Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud CES, MedellĂn, Colombia, C. PAUCAR33Faculty of Science, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede MedellĂn, MedellĂn, Colombia & P. ABAD33Faculty of Science, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede MedellĂn, MedellĂn, Colombia

Correspondence: C. Restrepo, Calle 3 No. 43 B. 48 Apartamento 202, MedellĂn, Colombia. E-mail: rarestre@epm.net.co

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the area, perimeter, and form (D factor and fractal dimension) of the dental wear among bruxist and nonbruxist children with mixed dentition in order to determine if the dental wear may be used as criteria to diagnose bruxism.

Methods. The children were 8 to 11 years old and were classified as bruxist or nonbruxist, according to anxiety level and temporomandibular disorders. Dental casts of the upper arch were obtained for the bruxist (n = 24) and the control (n = 29) group. The dental wear was measured in digital format and processed automatically. The complete and pathological dental wear was compared between the two groups, using the Student's t-test and MannŇWhitney test.

Results. Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups, with a higher area, perimeter, and more irregular form of the pathological dental wear among the bruxist group. Regarding complete dental wear, differences were only significant for the D factor (an un-dimensional quantitative parameter which produces a relation between the area and the perimeter of an object).

Conclusion. Digital imaging of dental wear may be used as criteria to diagnose bruxism in children with mixed dentition after making an analysis of the area, perimeter, and irregularity of the form of pathological dental wear.

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