Masticatory Muscle Activity in Patients With Pain-related Temporomandibular Disorders

The Use of Electromyography in the Assessment of Masticatory Muscle Activity in Patients With Pain-related Temporomandibular Disorders

The aim of this study was to evaluate masticatory muscle electrical activity in patients with pain-related and pain-free temporomandibular disorders (TMD) as well as in subjects with no TMD. Ninety children with mixed dentition were recruited to the study. Of this total, 30 subjects were diagnosed with pain-related TMD, 30 with pain-free TMD, and 30 without TMD. We used Axis I of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) to assess the presence of TMD in the examined children. The electromyographical (EMG) potentials of the temporalis and masseter muscles were measured with a DAB-Bluetooth Instrument (Zebris Medical GmbH, Germany) at rest and during maximum voluntary clenching (MVC).

Inclusion Criteria:

• mixed dentition (the subjects should be aged between 7 and 12 years)
• consent to participate voluntarily in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• subjects who had undergone orthodontic or masticatory motor system dysfunction treatment, had systemic or rheumatologic diseases, a history of mouth breathing, surgery, traumas or malformations in the head and neck region