Divya G, Vinita Mary A, Kesavan R, Ekambareswaran K, Esther Sabatini Rebekah W, Nishanthi L

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Occlusal adjustment is one of the challenging and regularly encountered procedure in dentistry. The knowledge of dental occlusion is considered as the foundation for achieving occlusal equilibrium. Moreover, achieving occlusal equilibrium by occlusal adjustments is an irreversible procedure and the dentist must study the patient’s occlusion before the procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge and practices of dental practitioners regarding occlusal adjustment. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among interns and dentists in Chennai. The knowledge and attitude regarding occlusal adjustment was evaluated through self-explanatory questioner which were circulated to the study subjects in the form of google forms through social media platforms like whatsapp, Instagram and facebook and each participant could be able to submit their response only once. Results: A total of 200 subjects participated in the study. The age of the study subjects ranged from 21-84 years with mean age being 29.39+10.20 and 124 (62%) were females and 76(38%) were males. About 107 study subjects (53.5%) faced difficulties after crown fixation; 173 (86.5%) study subjects had come across the term occlusal equilibrium and 171 (85.5%) preferred using articulating paper to check occlusal interference and 171(85.5%) study subjects accepted that occlusal imbalance can cause temporo-mandibular joint pain. Conclusion: The survey concluded that the study subjects had basic theoretical knowledge about occlusal adjustments but their clinical implementation was questionable.