One-leg standing time with eyes open: comparison between the mouth-opened and mouth-closed conditions.

Objective: Many studies report a significant relationship between the one-leg standing time with the eyes open and the occlusal relationship. To determine the association between proprioception (the periodontal membrane vs muscle spindle) to the one-leg standing time, the authors compared the one-leg standing time with eyes open between mouth-opened and mouth-closed conditions.

Methods: The study participants were 107 healthy, elderly patients. The authors measured the one-leg standing time with eyes open between mouth-opened and mouth-closed conditions.

Results: The one-leg standing time was significantly shorter with the mouth opened (21·1±19·1 seconds) than with the mouth closed (25·1±21·4 seconds). Patients whose one-leg standing time was equal or shorter with the mouth opened than with the mouth closed were not different from the other patients with regard to age, handgrip strength, BMI, and the number of remaining teeth.

Discussion: The vertical mandibular position may affect body balance.