Objective: This study was conducted to assess the correlation between medial mandibular flexure and maximum bite force in Kennedy class I partially edentulous patients.
Subjects and Methods: a sample of 40 Kennedy class I partially edentulous patients were selected from outpatient clinics, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Al-Azhar University. The median mandibular flexure was measured, the mean maximum bite force was recorded for each patient, and the correlation between median mandibular flexure and mean maximum bite force was statistically analyzed.
Results: The median mandibular flexure range varied from −0.41 to −1.19 mm. The mean median mandibular flexure in the studied population was 0.69 ± 0.31 in men and 0.74 ± 0.15 mm in female patients. The maximum bite force in this study varied from 23.4 to 41.1 kg/N in women and from 31.8 to 51.2 kg/N in men. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated between median mandibular flexure and maximum bite force. The value of R is -0.315. There was no significant correlation between the mean median mandibular flexure and mean maximum bite force (P-Value is 0.312).
Conclusion: The median mandibular flexure and mean maximum bite force should be considered in the treatment plan separately as there was no correlation found between them in Kennedy class I partially edentulous patients.