COMPARATIVE ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF MASTICATORY MUSCLES BETWEEN BILATERAL AND UNILATERAL MASTICATORS

There are several variations in normal mastication. In them, unilateral mastication is chewing, predominantly on a preferred side of the dentition and hardly on e non-preferred side. Continual unilateral mastication may alter the coordination of masticatory muscles. Although they studied about these EMG of masticatory muscles, there were no information about characteristics of masticatory muscle activity in unilateral mastication. Therefore, In this study, we investigated the activity of the masseter and anterior temporal muscles during rest, clenching in maximum intercuspation and gum chewing in habitually unilateral mastication group compared with normal group and tried to know effects of continual unilateral mastication on activity of masticatory muscles. The results of this study were as follows 1. In electromyographic activity during rest, in bilateral mastication group pattern of muscle activity of right and left side was symmetrical. But, in unilateral mastication group, records of anterior part of temporal muscle was higher than that of bilateral mastication group (p<.01) and patterns of muscle activity of right and left side in both muscle were asymmetrical.(p<.05) 2. In electromyographic activity during clenching in maximum intercuspation, records of superficial part of masseter muscle were higher than anterior part of temporal muscle in both group. Muscle activity of temporal muscle in unilateral mastication group was a little higher han bilateral mastication group and asymmetry of activity pattern in temporal and masseter muscle was shown but these differences were not statistically significant. (p<.05) 3. In electromyographic activity during gum chewing, temporal muscle was activated earlier than masseter muscle and maximum bite force is derived from masseter muscle in both group. In unilateral mastication group, electromyographic activity of masseter and temporal muscle of preferred chewing side, regardless of right or left side chewing, was higher than that of bilateral mastication group and especially, difference in masseter muscle was statistically significant. (p<.01) Based on the above results, our study suggested that recording of masticatory muscle activity will be helpful in the effective diagnosis and treatment of some types of the parafunctional habits.