Age-Related Differences in Dynamic Occlusion Patterns in Subjects with Natural Dentition

The selection of an appropriate occlusal pattern for prosthodontic and orthodontic rehabilitation remains a subject of ongoing debate within the scientific literature. A potential resolution to this controversy involves investigating the prevalence of various dynamic occlusal schemes in the natural permanent dentition. This cross-sectional study was designed to assess the typical dynamic occlusion patterns observed in both younger and older populations and to examine whether these patterns are influenced by age. The study included a total of 207 participants possessing natural dentition with no prosthetic restorations. The age of the individuals ranged from 15 to 73 years. Dynamic occlusal patterns were recorded in all participants through a clinical assessment of lateral and protrusive mandibular excursions guided by the teeth. Dynamic occlusion was categorized into five types: (O1) bilateral canine guidance, (O2) unilateral canine guidance, (O3) group function, (O4) balanced occlusion, and a category labeled “other occlusions” (O5). The overall distribution of occlusal patterns was similar between male and female participants. “The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dynamic occlusal patterns in subjects with natural dentition and to determine whether these patterns are associated with age.” Because occlusal wear accumulates throughout life, it was hypothesized that the prevalence of canine-guided occlusion would decrease with age, while group function occlusion would become more frequent. The study group consisted of 207 patients, 112 women (54.1%) and 95 men (45.9%), ranging in age from 15 to 73 years (mean = 32.79 ± 13.87). Informed consent was first explained to the participants, who then signed a consent form. We performed Pearson’s chi-square test to determine the association between demographic variables (gender and/or age) on the dynamic occlusion models (DINs) described above. The association between age groups and occlusal patterns was assessed using Pearson’s chi-squared test. The strength of the association was estimated using Cramer’s V coefficient. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The analysis using Pearson’s chi-squared test did not show a statistically significant association between age groups and dynamic occlusion patterns (χ2 = 15.17; df = 12; p = 0.232). The effect size, assessed using Cramer’s V coefficient, was 0.156, indicating a weak association between the two variables. Although descriptive differences were observed in the distribution of some occlusal patterns among the age groups, these differences did not reach statistical significance.