[Balters' appliance and its action on the neuromuscular system]

Bionator created by BALTERS comes directly from activator but is smaller allowing its use during day and night to achieve mainly: lip closure, tongue in contact with soft palate, make oral area bigger improving its functionality, get a better maxillary relationship making mandible longer and improve tongue position. The principle that a new neuromuscular pattern conducted by appliance drives to development of a new morphologic pattern. Its activity on neuromusculature is neither well documented nor studied. Actually it is admitted that craniomandibular muscles contraction depends on neural pattern of this muscles during movement. This pattern is modified by continuous sensorial feed-back coming from dentition, T.M.J., and muscular and tendinal length and strength receptors. Clinical studies on mandibular advancement, show that occlusion alteration in sagittal mandibular reposition drives to spontaneous activity changes in muscles and to changes in electromyographic rest of certain muscles like the temporal. In some cases it is founded an increase in molar bite due to anterior mandibular reposition force. Clinical studies on mandibular advancement show changes on mandibular muscles spontaneous activity and possibility of modifications of E.M.G. rest level of temporalis. In some cases an increasing of bite force on first molars is founded. Electromyographic changes appear in children early, and produce a new functional position that changes morphology. Feed-back information comes from periodontal and muscular receptors. Patients treated show lip closure without strength, better tongue positioning and swallowing, and lower tension on suprahyoid muscles.