Interceptive treatment of occlusal interferences in children with functional malocclusions in temporal teething

Abstract

Occlusal interferences are a frequent problem in infantile teething, able to provoke functional malocclusions like anterior crossed bite, posterior crossed bite, and also facial abnormalities and affectations of temporomandibular joint. For these reasons we decided to perform an investigation to identify the occlusal interferences related with functional posterior and anterior crossed bite, and to evaluate the occlusion behavior when selective P. Planas' wear-down method is applied in early ages. A descriptive study was carried out in children attending day-care centers from the Milanes Health Area of Matanzas municipality, in the period January 2005- September 2005. There were examined 144 children; 39 of them had occlusal interferences: 41,03 % presented anterior crossed bite and 66,67 % posterior crossed bite. After applying the selective P. Planas' wear-down method, only 12,50 % did not uncrossed the anterior bite and 11,54 % the posterior bite, demonstrating that the early application of that method is an efficacious measure that has to be taken into account to intercept dental malocclusions and also to prevent dentomaxillofacial abnormalities and alterations of the temporomandibular joint.