Abstract
Malocclusion during childhood may affect both morphology and masticatory function and could greatly affect the subsequent growth and development of the jaws and face. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of surface electromyography in describing the effects of the rapid palatal expansion (RPE) on Masseter (M) and Temporalis Anterior (T) muscles’ activity in 53 children with different types of malocclusion: bilateral posterior crossbite (BPcb), underdeveloped maxillary complex without crossbite (NOcb) and unilateral posterior crossbite on the right (UPCBr) and on the left (UPCBl). The muscular activities during chewing tasks were assessed bilaterally before and after RPE application and three months after removal. Both the envelope’s peak (µV) and its occurrence (% of chewing task) were extracted from the surface electromyography signal. Our results showed the presence of statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) on temporomandibular joint muscles, across different assessments, in all the tested populations of subjects. Surface electromyography demonstrated a relationship between the correction of a maxillary transverse discrepancy and the restoration of a muscle’s activation patterns comparable to healthy subjects for both T and M.
Highlights
Understanding the characteristic features of primary dentition, as well as the changes that take place in the transitional stage from primary to permanent dentition for a particular population, is essential for dentists involved in planning early preventive and interceptive orthodontic treatment [1,2,3,4]
Posterior crossbite is a frequent malocclusion associated with maxillary transverse discrepancy (MTD), in the early mixed dentition stage [5,6,7,8] that normally persists from childhood to adulthood if not treated [9]
The results of our study highlighted two main points: first of all, Surface electromyography (sEMG) is an efficient tool to evaluate and compare masticatory muscle strategies in children affected by maxillary transversal discrepancy
Summary
Understanding the characteristic features of primary dentition, as well as the changes that take place in the transitional stage from primary to permanent dentition for a particular population, is essential for dentists involved in planning early preventive and interceptive orthodontic treatment [1,2,3,4]. Posterior crossbite is a frequent malocclusion associated with maxillary transverse discrepancy (MTD), in the early mixed dentition stage [5,6,7,8] that normally persists from childhood to adulthood if not treated [9] In most cases, it is accompanied by a mandibular lateral shift during closure [10] that can determine an abnormal mandibular growth [11,12], asymmetrical jaw muscle activity [13,14,15,16], changes in mandibular movements [17] and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) [18,19]. It can induce equilibrium in the masticatory muscles and consequent further harmonious development of the jaws, working on the relationship between functional and morphological aspects of the malocclusion. [15,22]
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