An investigation into explosive force variation using occlusal bites

To analyse the relationship between occlusion, posture and athletic performance in 15 professional basketball players. MATERIALS AND METHOD; The athletes were divided into two groups; the 8 subjects in the test group were fitted with retainers and the 7 subjects in the other group were used as control. All of the athletes underwent electromyographic and kinaesiographic examination with Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) before and after muscular relaxation to identify the myocentric position and to permit individualisation of the retainers. The effect of the intraoral devices on explosive force was evaluated via two functional tests: the countermovement jump (CMJ), and unilateral (UL) and bilateral (BL) stiffness jumps. The functional tests were carried out both before (T0) and immediately after (T1) fitting the retainer in an initial session, and then again, in a second session held two months later both without (T2) and with the retainer in place (T3).

Statistical analysis of the data obtained revealed a statistically significant difference between T3 and T0, and between T3 and T2 in the study group, and between T0 and T3 in the control group; no statistically significant differences between the two groups were found.

The results of this analysis lead us to conclude that the retainers had no effect on athletic performance, and that the improvement in this criteria noted in both groups in the second session was probably brought about by training.