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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

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Measuring Maxillary Posterior Tooth Movement: A Model Assessment using Palatal and Dental Superimposition
Published on: February 23, 2024
Electromyographic and cephalometric correlation with the predominant masticatory movement
Maria Julia P Coelho-Ferraz1, Fausto Berzin, Cesar Ferreira Amorim
1Department of Social Dentistry of Piracicaba Dental School UNICAMP, São Paulo, Brazil. mjcoelhoferraz@hotmail.com
Stomatologija
|August 4, 2010
Summary
Chewing dynamics, measured by the Masticatory Functional Angle (MFA), correlate with masseter muscle activity during maximal bite. Asymmetrical mandible function is linked to temporomandibular disorders.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Dental Science
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Chewing is a complex motor function involving intricate muscular dynamics.
- Understanding the relationship between jaw movement angles and muscle activity is crucial for diagnosing temporomandibular disorders (TMDs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate chewing muscular dynamics using the Masticatory Functional Angle (MFA).
- To correlate MFA with muscular activity via surface electromyography and radiographic imaging.
- To investigate the relationship between masticatory movement asymmetry and muscle behavior.
Main Methods:
- Seventeen participants without TMD symptoms were assessed.
- Teleradiography, surface electromyography (masseter, temporalis, suprahyoids), and bite force measurements were employed.
- A mandibular goniometer measured jaw opening size.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in masseter muscle activity during maximal bite were observed between groups with MFA > 5 degrees and MFA < 5 degrees.
- No significant sexual dimorphism was found in the results.
- Correlations were established between MFA and muscle activity.
Conclusions:
- Anatomical and physiological aspects of TMDs are associated with asymmetrical mandible function.
- Masticatory asymmetry, as indicated by MFA, plays a role in TMDs.

