Relationship between occlusal contacts and jaw-closing muscle activity during tooth clenching: Part I

Electromyographic recordings from the anterior temporal muscle fibers bilaterally, the posterior temporal muscle fibers bilaterally, the superficial masseter muscle bilaterally, and the left medial pterygoid muscle were used to study the effects of changing the location, size, and direction of effort on specific contact points during maximal clenching tasks in human subjects. Vertical clenching efforts in the natural or simulated intercuspal position generally showed the highest muscle activities for all the muscles recorded. When the contact point moved posteriorly along the arch from incisors to molars, the activity in the ipsilateral temporal muscles was seen to increase, while the activity in the ipsilateral medial pterygoid and the masseter muscles bilaterally was seen to decrease during vertical clenching tasks. Eccentric efforts on specific contact points generally resulted in lower activity than the corresponding vertical effort. This was usually seen in all muscles, but not all values were significant. The ipsilateral temporal and contralateral pterygoid muscles showed the most activity during maximal clenches in lateral direction with little contribution from the other muscles. The temporal muscles showed the most activity in retrusive clenching, with activity in the other muscles nearly nonexistent. The medial pterygoid and masseter muscles were found to be the most active muscles during protrusive and incisal clenching, while the temporal muscle activity was low. When the size and number of contacts were increased anteriorly, a generalized increase in muscle activity was seen. The same trend occurred posteriorly but was not as consistent or significant. Cross-arch contacts were associated with a slight but significant bilateral increase in masseter muscle activity and an increase in temporal muscle activity ipsilateral to the cross-arch contact when maximum vertical clenches were performed. However, no significant increases were observed when the effort was directed laterally. The findings of this electromyographic study on change of the contact point, size of contact point, and the direction of effort applied on a contact point confirm their specific associations with the activity of muscle groups. Significant data have also been made available for a biomechanic approach of the investigation of degenerative joint changes.