• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of oral habits on the muscles of mastication and facial expression by means of two parameters: muscle stiffness and elasticity. 10 healthy, fully-dentate male subjects in their twenties were selected for this study; all had normal Class I occlusal relationships. Muscle stiffness and elasticity were measured with a tactile sensor(Venustron, Axiom Co., JAPAN) while subjects were asked to relax and perform various parafunctional activities such unilateral clenching(biting the bite force recorder with a force of 50kg on each subject's preferred side), jaw thrusting and lip bracing. The following muscles were examined: temporalis anterior(Ta), masseter(Mm), frontalis(Fr), inferior orbicularis oculi(OOci), zygomaticus major(Zm), superior and inferior orbularis oris(OOrs and OOri) and mentalis(Mn). Paired t-test, Correlation Coefficients, ANOVA and Multiple Comparison t-tests were used for statistical analysis. Unilateral clenching was highly correlated with bilateral stiffness and elasticity of all the muscles tested. Mm was affected by all three oral habits; Ta was affected by unilateral clenching(p<0.05); Zm was affected by unilateral clenching and OOrs, OOri and Mn were most affected by lip bracing(p<0.05). This study indicates that not only the masticatory muscles but also the muscles of facial expression, mainly circumoral muscles, can be significantly influenced by parafunctional activities such as unilateral clenching and lip bracing.