Mandibular Flexure: An In-vivo Study in Dentate Patients.

The flexion of the mandible (MF) is a multifactorial phenomenon that occurs simultaneously with mandibular movements determining changes in the shape of the mandible. mandibular flexure (MF) may cause complications and failures in both conventional and implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (FDP) especially when a long-span prosthesis is planned to connect the anterior to the posterior region of the mandible. Previous studies reported increased biomechanical stress at the prosthetic and implant level, poor passivity of fit, impression distortion, pain during function, de-cementation of the prosthesis, porcelain chipping, prosthetic screw loosening and fracture, bone resorption and implant fracture. The aim of this study is to quantify the dimensional changes related to MF by means of a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) between maximum opening (MO) and maximum intercuspation (OVD) positions. The null hypothesis was that there is no significant difference in terms of length and width of the mandible between maximum intercuspation and maximum opening positions.