Higher Maximal Occlusal Bite Force in Endodontically Treated Teeth Versus Vital Contralateral Counterparts

Abstract

Introduction Decreased sensitivity to occlusal load could lead to a greater risk of damage to endodontically treated teeth. Therefore, this study aims to test whether root canal treatment reduces the sensitivity of the treated teeth to occlusal load. Methods This is a comparative cross-sectional study of 124 patients who received root canal treatment. Treated teeth were compared with vital teeth on the contralateral side. After interviews with participants, their maximal bite forces (MBFs) of their root canal–treated and contralateral untreated teeth were measured using a digital bite fork force transducer. Data were analyzed by comparing the mean MBF of root canal–treated and control teeth. Results The mean MBF (± standard deviation) was 226.6 N (±168.7) for root canal–treated teeth and 207.93 N (±158.08) for control teeth. Root canal–treated teeth had a significantly higher difference in the mean MBF than the control group (P