Mathias Vitti

Use of the Fonseca's questionnaire to assess the prevalence and severity of temporomandibular disorders in brazilian dental undergraduates

This study to assessed the prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) by means of the frequency distribution of data for 218 dentistry students from a Brazilian public university using the Fonsecas questionnaire. The group consisted of 96 men and 122 women, with an average age of 20 years. Of the students, 53.21% showed some level of TMD: 35.78% mild TMD 11.93% moderate and 5.5% severe. Women were the most affected group, with 63.11% showing some level of TMD, against 40.62% of men. When considering only severe TMD, women are approximately 9 times more affected than men. Students with any level of TMD showed marked characteristics: 76.72% considered themselves tense people; 71.55% reported to clench or grind their teeth; 65.52% reported clicking of the temporomandibular joint; 64.66% reported frequent headache and 61.21% neck pain. In conclusion, clinical signs and symptoms of TMD can occur in young population and this information is of great importance for the early diagnosis of the dysfunction.

Electromyographic evaluation in children having rapid maxillary expansion

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to analyze the electromyographic activity of the masseter and temporalis muscles of children having rapid maxillary expansion (RME) with a bonded rapid maxillary expansion appliance. METHODS The sample consisted of 27 children (mean age, 8.6 years) with posterior crossbite who required RME treatment. Electromyographic activity of the masseter and temporalis muscles was analyzed before treatment and after the appliance was removed. The mean interval between the 2 analyses was 5 months. Muscular activity was electromyographically analyzed in rest position, and with maximum voluntary dental clenching and chewing. Differences in the 2 measurements were evaluated by using paired t tests. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Electromyographic analysis showed that activity of the masseter and temporalis muscles increased significantly after the expansion appliance was removed during rest, dental clenching, and habitual chewing.

Educational material of dental anatomy applied to study the morphology of permanent teeth

The purpose of this report is to present educational material that would allow the dental student to learn to easily identify the morphologic characteristics of permanent teeth, and how they fit together (occlusion). In order to do this, macro models of permanent teeth with no attrition were carved in wax and later molded with alginate. These molds were filled with plaster, dental stone and/or cold-cured acrylic resin. The large individual dental stone tooth models were mounted on a wax base, thus obtaining maxillary and mandibular arches which were occluded. These dental arches were molded with plaster or dental stone. The authors suggest that these types of macro models allow an excellent visualization of the morphologic characteristics of permanent teeth and occlusion. Dental students are able to carve the permanent dentition in wax with great facility when they can observe macro models.

Macroscopic and microscopic aspects of the temporomandibular joint related to its clinical implication.

In order to obtain a precise diagnosis and treatment for temporomandibular dysfunctions, it is necessary to have morphological and functional knowledge of the temporomandibular joint. Anatomic components are important to the understanding of the complexity of temporomandibular joint. Nonetheless, just as important are the anatomic relationships that this joint has with the neighboring structures. Thus, the aim of this study was to present the anatomic relationships of the temporomandibular joint in its various surfaces: external or lateral, anterior, posterior, medial, superior, and posterosuperior, considering the morphological and histological aspects. Nine human heads, fixed in formalin (10%) underwent sagittal medial section and were subsequently dissected, evidencing the anatomic components of all surfaces to be analyzed. Components of the external surface were: skin, subcutaneous tissue, lymphatic ganglia, parotid gland, superficial temporal artery, transverse facial artery, zygomatic-orbital artery, superficial temporal vein, facial and auriculotemporal nerves, masseter muscle, and pre-auricular lymphonodus. The anterior surface comprised the masseter and lateral pterygoid muscles (upper and inferior heads), pterygoid venous plexus, mandibular notch, posterior deep temporal artery, masseteric nerve, and deep posterior temporal branches. Medial surface components were: internal maxillary artery, of which middle meningeal artery was one of the closest branches to the TMJ, anterior tympanic artery, inferior alveolar, lingual, auriculotemporal, and chorda tympani nerves, which belonged to the surface posterior to the anterior wall of the auditory duct; auricolotemporal nerve, parotid gland; and petrotympanic fissure. The cerebral fossa (meninges and encephalon) belonged to the superior surface and the ear belonged to the posterosuperior surface. Histologically, the temporomandibular joint is composed by different tissues that compound the mandibular head, mandibular fossa, and articular eminence of the temporomandibular joint. It was concluded that the temporomandibular joint is a complex structure and the clinician must have the ability to formulate the diagnosis based on the understanding of morphological aspects of the structures that compose the stomatognatic system.

Masticatory muscle activity in children with a skeletal or dentoalveolar open bite

SUMMARY The aim of this study was to compare the electromyographic (EMG) characteristics of masticatory muscles in children with either a skeletal or dentoalveolar open bite, compared with a control group (CG). Forty-five children (31 boys and 14 girls), aged 6-11 years, were included in the study, 15 with a skeletal anterior open bite (SAOB), 15 with a dentoalveolar anterior open bite (DAOB), and 15 with a normal occlusion (CG), defined by clinical evaluation and lateral cephalograms. EMG recordings of the temporal and masseter muscles were performed under maximal voluntary clenching and during chewing. Analysis of variance was used for inter-group analysis, followed by the Tukey post hoc test. A Students t-test for paired data was used for intra-group analysis. There were statistically significant differences among the three groups (P < 0.05), with the mean EMG being highest in the CG and lowest in children with a SAOB. The percentage EMG activity during chewing in relation to that during maximal voluntary clenching was more than 100 per cent in the SAOB group. The CG and DAOB groups presented higher EMG activity during clenching compared with chewing (P < 0.001), as well as a greater difference between tasks. In the SAOB group, the neuromuscular system appeared to have a lower capacity to produce EMG activity according to the task, while that in the DAOB group suggests that their functional capacity during growth should also be carefully observed.

Correspondence of the auricular acupoint with the upper trapezius muscle: A electromyographic study

Presently, acupuncture is a technique considered to be capable of stimulating the regulatory systems of the organism, such as the central nervous system, the endocrine system and the immunological system. The median frequency of the upper trapezium muscle with 40% and 60% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of 15 healthy volunteers, was analyzed after the individuals were submitted to the AA treatment. The non-parametric Friedman test was used to compare median frequency values. In this exploratory study, the level of significance of each comparison was set to p<0.05. The intraclass analyses indicate a significant increase of the median frequency muscle at 60% of the MVC (Wicoxon test). Based on the results found, the AA peripheral stimulus can act as a modulator mechanism of muscle activity and was possible to verify correspondence of the auricular acupoint with the trapezius muscle.

Anatomic variation of cranial parasympathetic ganglia

Having broad knowledge of anatomy is essential for practicing dentistry. Certain anatomical structures call for detailed studies due to their anatomical and functional importance. Nevertheless, some structures are difficult to visualize and identify due to their small volume and complicated access. Such is the case of the parasympathetic ganglia located in the cranial part of the autonomic nervous system, which include: the ciliary ganglion (located deeply in the orbit, laterally to the optic nerve), the pterygopalatine ganglion (located in the pterygopalatine fossa), the submandibular ganglion (located laterally to the hyoglossus muscle, below the lingual nerve), and the otic ganglion (located medially to the mandibular nerve, right beneath the oval foramen). The aim of this study was to present these structures in dissected anatomic specimens and perform a comparative analysis regarding location and morphology. The proximity of the ganglia and associated nerves were also analyzed, as well as the number and volume of fibers connected to them. Human heads were dissected by planes, partially removing the adjacent structures to the point we could reach the parasympathetic ganglia. With this study, we concluded that there was no significant variation regarding the location of the studied ganglia. Morphologically, our observations concur with previous classical descriptions of the parasympathetic ganglia, but we observed variations regarding the proximity of the otic ganglion to the mandibular nerve. We also observed that there were variations regarding the number and volume of fiber bundles connected to the submandibular, otic, and pterygopalatine ganglia.

Influência da posição do braço na relação EMG-força em músculos do braço

A relacao entre a amplitude do sinal eletromiografico e a forca muscular (EMG-forca) tem sido tomada como medida indireta da forca muscular. Este estudo, em 18 voluntarias saudaveis e destras, visou avaliar a influencia da posicao do braco na relacao EMG-forca em musculos do braco em tres tarefas - flexao do braco (FB), abducao do braco (AB) e neutra do braco (NB) - enquanto se tomavam ambas as medidas: uma celula de carga foi acoplada ao conversor do eletromiografo para registrar simultaneamente forca e sinal eletromiografico. Foram analisados os sinais dos musculos biceps braquial, braquiorradial e triceps braquial, e estimada a forca de flexao e de extensao do braco nas diferentes tarefas. A relacao entre esses conjuntos de valores foi analisada estatisticamente, verificando se havia correlacao entre forca e sinal eletromiografico. Os resultados mostraram nao haver tal correlacao nas tarefas avaliadas. A posicao do braco nao influenciou a relacao EMG-forca dos musculos avaliados, com excecao do triceps braquial, cuja atividade eletromiografica foi maior durante a tarefa NB. Conclui-se que, em isometria, as tarefas podem ser empregadas para ativar o biceps braquial e o braquiorradial; a tarefa NB e a mais indicada para ativar o triceps braquial.

Mastigação e atividade eletromiográfica em crianças com mordida cruzada posterior

RESUMOObjetivo: investigar a preferencia mastigatoria e o comportamento dos musculos mastigatorios, em criancas de 6 a 9 anos, com mordida cruzada posterior. Metodos: 30 criancas foram selecionadas num servico de Ortodontia de uma universidade publica. Apos a concordância na participacao no trabalho, foi realizada entrevista com a crianca e seu responsavel, para investigacao de disfuncao temporomandibular; analise da preferencia mastigatoria, por meio de registros em video e avaliacao eletromiografica (EMG) dos musculos masseter e temporal anterior, durante a mastigacao solicitada, direita e esquerda, de uma goma de marcar. Resultados: houve diferenca significante na atividade EMG dos musculos masseter e temporal anterior entre os lados de trabalho e balanceio, porem nao houve diferenca estatistica quando foram comparadas as atividades EMG entre os lados de mor-dida cruzada e nao cruzada, tampouco entre os lados de preferencia e nao preferencia mastigatoria. Conclusao: na amostra estudada nao se verificou assimetria funcional muscular estabelecida.DESCRITORES: Eletromiografia; Musculos; Mastigacao

Using overdenture on implants and complete dentures: Using overdenture on implants and complete dentures: Using overdenture on implants and complete dentures: effects on postural maintenance of masticatory effects on postural maintenance of masticatory musculature musculature

Aims: Thanks to advances in osseointegration, oral rehabilitation specialists have had the option of using implants to improve retention and stability in treatments with complete dentures. This study compared the masticatory muscle electromyographic activity in implant-supported overdenture wearers, complete denture wearers and dentate individuals. The electromyographic activity of the right and left masseter muscles, and the right and left anterior temporalis muscles was analyzed in 10 implant-supported overdenture wearers (Group 1), 10 conventional complete denture wearers (Group 2), and 10 dentate individuals (Group 3), with mean age of 65 years, at rest and during postural position maintenance. The analysis was performed using the MyoSystem-Br1 electromyographer with differential active electrodes. Analysis of variance tests were carried out to compare the groups and muscles and revealed different electromyographic values that were statistically significant at 1% significance level. Duncan’s pos-hoc test showed that Group 3 presented the smallest values (pd”0.01). The electromyographic contraction pattern was similar between Groups 1 and 3 (p>0.01), and hyperactivity of anterior temporalis muscles was observed in Group 2 (pd”0.01). Conclusions: dentate individuals had smaller electromyographic values of masticatory muscles and the overdenture use caused electromyographic contraction patterns similar to those of dentate individuals in both positions.