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Updated: May 6, 2026
Author Spotlight: 3D Movement Assessment of Maxillary Posterior Teeth in Clear Aligner Treatment
Published on: February 23, 2024
Does orthodontic treatment provide a real functional improvement? a case control study
Chiara Masci1, Irma Ciarrocchi, Alessandro Spadaro
1Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, V, le Vetoio 1, L'Aquila 67100, Italy. chiaramasci@hotmail.com.
Background:
Electromyographic analysis of the masticatory muscles provides useful data on the behavior of these muscles during stomatognathic system functioning and allows a functional assessment of orthodontic treatments. This study was undertaken to verify if achieving an Angle Class I bite through orthodontic treatment can lead to neuromuscular balance.
Methods:
This study enrolled 30 patients (20 females, 10 males, mean age: 15.78 years) with an Angle Class II, division 1 malocclusion that was orthodontically treated. A group of 30 subjects (19 females, 11 males; mean age: 16.15 years), randomly selected among subjects with an Angle Class II, division 1 malocclusion that had not been orthodontically treated served as the Control group. Both groups were subjected to electromyography to study their neuromuscular characteristics. The Shapiro-Wilk's test revealed a non normal distribution, therefore we used a Friedman two way ANOVA by ranks test to compare differences of surface electromyography values between treated and untreated subjects at closed and open eyes condition.
Results:
A statistically significant interaction between orthodontic treatment and open eyes conditions was detected for anterior temporal muscles. A significant imbalance of the anterior temporal muscles, which is indicative of an asymmetric electromyographic pattern, was also found.
Conclusions:
The present data indicate that achieving a correct occlusal target does not necessarily correspond to a neuromuscular balance.
