ABSTRACT

A cross - sectional prospective study was carried out on 214 carries - free posterior quadrants of 80 children (38 males and 42 females) aged 3 - 6 years who visited the College of Dentistry, Ajman University. The teeth were clinically examined and scored according to the ICDAS (International Caries Detection and Assessment System). This was followed by the taking of digital impressions. The digital models were then exported and scored according to the OXIS criteria. The prevalence of the types of OXIS contact areas was expressed in the form of numbers and percentages. The chi - square test was applied to investigate the variability among the arches and also to understand the association of OXIS contact areas across age, gender, and arches.

Results

The most common contact area type observed was l - type (59.8 %), followed by S - type (15.4 %), X - type (12.6 %), and O - type (12.2 %). The I - type contact area was most frequently seen in both males (51.6 %) and females (65.5 %), while the S - type in males (14.7 %) and X - type contact area in females (8.4 % each) were the least frequent with no statistical significance between genders (p > 0.05). All three age groups studied showed the highest prevalence of the I - type contact area, which increased with an increase in age (p < 0.05). The inter - arch comparison showed a significant result in terms of X - type contact area on the right side and O - type, X - type, and l - type contact areas on the left side, while no statistical difference was seen in the intra - arch comparison for all contact types.

Conclusion

l - type contact areas were the most prevalent across the arches, age groups and genders.

Keywords: OXIS Contact areas; Primary molars, Intra - oral scanner; Digital impressions.