Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of the mandibular position on the postural stability in a sample of civilian and military pilots.
Methods: Twenty military pilots (males, mean age 35.15 ± 3.14 years) and 17 civilian pilots (males, mean 34.91 ± 2.15 years) were enrolled in this study and underwent a Sensory Organization Test (SOT) using the EquiTest® (NeuroCom International Inc., Clackamas, OR, USA) computerized dynamic posturography. The composite parameter was recorded and analyzed.
Results: The equilibrium score (ES) recorded in centric occlusion is slightly higher than the ES recorded in mandibular rest position; civilian pilots showed ESs slightly higher than military pilots. The two-way ANOVA analysis shows these differences are not statistically significant.
Discussion: The findings of this study seem to suggest that the composite parameter of the SOT is not sensitive in analyzing the influence of the stomatognathic system on the postural balance of civilian and military pilots.
Keywords: Air Force personnel; Postural balance; TMJ; bruxism; dental occlusion; military personnel; neck pain; sensory organization test.