Electromyographic Muscular Activity Improvement in Class II Patients Treated with the Pre-Orthodontic Trainer

Abstract

Objective: A study was designed to determine changes in the amplitude of the EMG muscular activity of the Masseter and Temporalis muscles at clench in children with a Class II, division 1 malocclusion treated with the pre-orthodontic Trainer functional appliance, for 12 months. Study Design: 36 Class II, division 1 malocclusion patients (mean age 7.6 ± 1.3 years) composed the treated group and wore the functional appliance; 22 children with a similar age and malocclusion composed the untreated controls; and, 20 children with no dental malocclusion participated as normal controls. Electromyographic (EMG) muscular activity of the Temporalis and Masseter muscles were recorded before and after treatment. Results: Subjects in the treated group reported a bilateral significant increase in the muscular electrical activity in the both tested muscles (p < 0.001). After treatment, they recorded values similar to those measured in normal controls, whereas the untreated controls remained on lower values. Conclusion: These results confirm that treatment with the pre-orthodontic Trainer functional appliance significantly increases the EMG muscular activity in the Temporalis and Masseter muscles at clench in patients with Class II, division 1 malocclusion.