Electromiografía del aparato de la masticación en niños sanos y portadores de maloclusión clase I y II de angle

Abstract

Electromyography (EMG) allows the study of the electrical muscle activity. In Dentistry it is used to evaluate the effect of craniomandibular corrective treatments and orthognathic surgery in masticatory functions or in the evolution of diseases with different malocclusion grades that involve orofacial structures. In order to determine the electromyographical performance of some masticatory muscles in children of 9 to 12 years old, 30 healthy children and 30 with dental malocclusion were studied; bilateral EMG activity were recordered of Temporal, Masseter and Orbicularis oris muscles during maximal occlusion movements, laterotrusion, retrusion, open of the mouth and corner deviation. The maximal EMG amplitudes were obtained in Temporal muscle during occlusion movements (480.65 μV), retrusion (356.31 μV) and laterotrusion movements. In Masseter muscle maximal amplitudes were obtained in occlusion (495.79 μV) and laterotrusion and in the Orbicularis oris both during mouth opening and corner deviation. The amplitude and Upper Centile Amplitude (UCA) showed lower significal values between healthy children and children with malocclusion. It was concluded that muscular activity of patients with malocclusion is lower than in healthy children.