Clinical Evaluation of Bite Force in Children and Adults with Normal Occlusion and Comparison of Normal Adult Bite Force in Individuals with Different Malocclusions

Maximum voluntary bite force was measured in 140 subjects consisting of 30 children and 110 adults. Bite force in adults was measured at the permanent first molar and first premolar region. Bite force in adults with Angle’s class I malocclusion and skeletal class II malocclusion, those with hypodivergent and hyperdivergent facial morphology was compared with those of normal occlusion. Bite force was measured in children in permanent first molar to assess the normal values and to find gender difference. • Molar bite force in adult males with normal occlusion was 650.67N and in adult females it was 543.00N and bite force measured at the first premolars in adult males was 422.933 N and in females was 349.450 N. • There was significant gender difference in adult subjects. • In children, the bite force at the permanent first molars was 191.17N with boys having a value of 199.2N and in girls it was 183.07N. • There was no gender difference in bite force in children. • Children had less bite force than adults suggesting that the maximum voluntary bite force increases during growth and development. • Bite force values in subjects with angle’s class I malocclusion and skeletal class II malocclusion compared with those of normal occlusion were not statistically significant. • The maximum voluntary bite force in hypodivergent faces was 771.50 Newtons in molar and 500.60N in premolar region. In hyperdivergent faces it was 283.85 Newtons in molar and 184.60N in premolar which expounds that low angle subjects have a higher value than high angle subjects. • Bite force was correlated with vertical facial morphology and it was observed to have a highly significant correlation with a p value of 0.001. CONCLUSION : The conclusions obtained in this study are, 1. There is significant difference in maximum voluntary bite force between children and adult measured at the permanent first molar region. 2. Children did not show any gender difference in bite force where as adults had a significant gender difference with males having a higher value than females