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Published on: November 6, 2015
Neuromuscular adaptations with flexible fixed functional appliance--a 2-year follow-up study
Sankalp Sood1, Om P Kharbanda, Ritu Duggal
1Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, H.P. Government Dental College & Hospital, 171001, Shimla, H.P., India. drsankalpsood@gmail.com
Aim:
To evaluate long-term neuromuscular adaptation with the flexible fixed functional appliance.
Patients And Methods:
Electromyography (EMG) was performed on 15 young, growing females with Class II Division 1 malocclusion treated with a flexible fixed functional appliance. Bilateral EMG activity from the anterior temporalis and masseter muscles was monitored longitudinally to determine changes in posture, swallowing, and maximum voluntary clenching during a 24-month observation period.
Results:
There was a significant decrease in EMG activity during saliva swallowing (p < 0.05) and maximum clenching (p < 0.05 at 3 months and p < 0.01 at 1 month after treatment); this persisted for up to 1 month but gradually returned to pre-appliance levels near the end of 6 months. It remained stable from then on until the end of the observation period (24 months).
Conclusion:
The anterior temporalis and masseter muscles clearly responded to appliance therapy. The neuromuscular adaptation documented after 6 months of treatment remained stable over a 24-month observation period.
