[An effect of the clenching speed on the method of calculating the biting force of patients by using electromyography]

The recovery of the masticatory function in patients with dentures was assessed by several indices such as masticatory efficiency, maximal biting force and electromyographic analysis. We have attempted to develop a new method of calculating the biting force of edentulous patients by using electromyography. The method has almost been established, but, depending on the clenching speed, there is a certain difference between the estimates obtained from this method and the biting force obtained from a force transducer. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of the clenching speed on the method of calculating the biting force by using electromyography. In 9 healthy subjects with normal dentitions, biting force and electromyograms were recorded simultaneously under 3 different clenching speed conditions. After the recording, the relation between the biting force and integrated electromyography was compared thoroughly. The effect of the clenching speed on the method of calculating the biting force by using electromyography was also investigated. The following results and conclusions were obtained: 1. At a slow clenching speed, a linear relation between the biting force and integrated electromyography was found. 2. At a medium clenching speed, the relation showed a slightly upward curvature as the biting force was increased and a slightly downward curvature as it was decreased. 3. At a fast clenching speed, the relation between the biting force and integrated electromyography showed an upward curvature as the biting force was increased, and a downward curvature as it was decreased. 4. At the slow and medium clenching speeds the estimates obtained from this method approximated the biting forces obtained from a force transducer. 5. At the fast clenching speed, the tendency was found that the estimates obtained from this method were higher than the biting force obtained from a force transducer. 6. When realizing this tendency, the method of calculating the biting force by using electromyography can be said to be clinically effective.