• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.45-58
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to analyze the area of occlusal contact points using visual method. One subject was selected who had Angle Class I, normal dentition, without dental caries, periodontal disease and temporomandibular disorders. Forty times PVS impressions were taken and 10 pairs casts were fabricated using dental super hard stone. After mounting the casts with customized loading apparatus, 78.9kg/f force was loaded as a maximum biting force. In T-Scan method, occlusal contact points measurement was repeated twice. Then, using Photoshop program (Adobe photoshop CS3, Adobe. San Jose, USA), the pixels which indicated occlusal contact points by color was recognized, and the distribution of recognized pixels were calculated to area. In Add picture method, polyether bite material applied to the occlusal surface of the casts. Then, the image of the translucent areas was recorded and classified $0{\sim}10{\mu}m$, $0{\sim}30{\mu}m$, $0{\sim}60{\mu}m$ area by the amount of transmitted light. To acquire occlusal surface, the numbers of pixels from the photograph of the contact area indicated cast converted to $mm^2$. The mean occlusal contact area by two methods was statistically analyzed (paired t-test). Part of the red and pink area in T-Scan image were almost equivalent to the $0{\sim}10{\mu}m$, $0{\sim}30{\mu}m$, $0{\sim}60{\mu}m$ area in Add picture image. The distribution of occlusal contact points were similar, but the average area of occlusal contact points was wider in T-scan image (P<.05). Pink and red area in T-scan image was wider than $0{\sim}10{\mu}m$, $0{\sim}30{\mu}m$ area in Add picture image (P<.05), but similar to $0{\sim}60{\mu}m$area in Add picture image (P>.05). Occlusal contact points in T-scan image did not indicate real occlusal contact points. Occlusal contact areas in T-scan method were enlarged results comparing with those in Add picture method.