Effect of canine guidance, compared to bilateral balanced occlusion, on satisfaction and kinesiographic parameters of conventional denture wearers

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of canine guidance and bilateral balanced occlusion on satisfaction and kinesiographic parameters of complete denture wearers, by means of a cross-over trial. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty edentulous patients received new maxillary and mandibular complete dentures. After the intraoral adjustments and adaptation period, 44 participants were enrolled in the trial and randomly received a sequence of occlusal schemes: bilateral balanced occlusion followed by canine guidance, or canine guidance followed by bilateral balanced occlusion. The evaluations were performed after 30 days of each occlusal scheme. Participants answered a denture satisfaction questionnaire and a kinesiograph instrument recorded mandibular physiologic movements and pattern of maxillary denture movement during chewing. Wilcoxon test and paired sample t-test were used to compare satisfaction levels and kinesiographic data for each occlusal scheme, respectively (α= .05). RESULTS: The results showed no differences between occlusal schemes on participant’s satisfaction and in any of the kinesiographic parameters studied, except for the vertical intrusion of the maxillary complete denture during chewing, which was .1mm lower with canine guidance. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that: 1) The satisfaction of edentulous patients with theirs dentures is not influenced by occlusal scheme; 2) The mandibular movements of opening and closing, the freeway space and the jaw movement during chewing are not altered by the use of the bilateral balanced occlusion or canine guidance in their dentures, 3) The canine guidance promotes less intrusion of the maxillary complete dentures, although the values found are not clinically relevant; 4) The canine guidance or bilateral balanced occlusion are appropriate occlusal scheme and recommended for making conventional complete dentures, as long as volume and resilience of residual edentulous ridges of the participants were normal.