The purpose of this study was to objectively evaluate the occlusal contact and similarity of teethand occlusal patterns. At first, occlusal contact at the intercuspal position of 100 normal subjects wasinvestigated. Furthermore, an attempt was made to apply correspondence analysis to occlusal contact.
1. The tooth order from the high to low contact percentage was second molar, first molar, first premolarand second premolar. This order was the same on both sides.
2. There were 44 occlusal patterns. The occlusal pattern of many subjects was contact type in all teeth.
3. By correspondence analysis, the tooth score of the incisor group, cuspid, premolar group, and molargroup were much the same for each group. The order of tooth score was first incisor, second incisor, cuspid, molars, first premolar, and second premolar. In view of these results and the tooth order in contact percentage, tooth order in the need of contact was suggested to be posterior teeth, molars, first premolar and secondpremolar and in anterior teeth, cuspid, second incisor and first incisor.
4. The score of the pattern of having contact in all teeth was made positive near 0, which was the centerin distribution of all patterns. The score of pattern having no contact in 6 anterior teeth and 4 incisal teeth wasgiven on the edge of the distribution of all patterns.5. From these findings, correspondence analysis was suggested to be useful with a possibility forobjective evaluation of occlusal contact.