Alterations of body sway caused by isometric contractions of the jaw muscles have been reported previously. The objective of this study was to test if motor tasks of the masticatory system with different control demands affect body posture differently during quiet stance. Position and sway displacements of the center of foot pressure (COP) were measured for 20 healthy subjects who either kept the mandible at rest or performed unilateral and bilateral maximum voluntary teeth clenching, feedback-controlled biting tasks at submaximum bite forces, or unilateral chewing. Two weeks later the measurements were repeated. Compared with quiet stance, the COP results revealed significant changes during the feedback-controlled biting tasks. Robust sway reduction and anterior displacement of the COP were observed under these conditions. Body oscillations were not significantly affected by maximum bites or by unilateral chewing. For most of the variables investigated there were no significant differences between unilateral and bilateral biting. Robust sway reduction during feedback-controlled biting tasks in healthy subjects involved a stiffening phenomenon that was attributed to the common physiological repertoire of posture control, and might optimize the stability of posture under these conditions.

Neuromuscular adaptations during skill acquisition have been extensively investigated for skeletal muscles. Motor rehabilitation is the main target for application of motor training. Such measures are also relevant for the musculature of the jaw, but few data are available for motor adaptation of the masticatory system. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare long-term training effects of different motor tasks on masseter and temporal muscles. In 20 healthy subjects, the electromyographic response to unilateral and bilateral maximum voluntary tooth clenching, balancing the mandible on a hydrostatic system under force-feedback-controlled conditions, and unilateral chewing was investigated in an initial session and then in two follow-up sessions separated by 2 and 10 weeks from baseline. Motor tasks were repeated three times for chewing, nine times for maximum biting (MB) and 24 times for the coordination tasks (CT). The sequences of the various motor tasks were applied once in the first session and twice in the second and third sessions. No effects of training were observed for MB tasks except for MB in intercuspation, for which significant yet transient avoidance behaviour occurred in the second session. No significant effects were found for chewing tests. For the CT, however, a robust significant long-term training effect was detected which reduced the electric muscle activity in session 2 by approximately 20% and in session 3 by approximately 40% compared with the initial measurements. The study showed that the masticatory muscles are remarkably prone to motor adaptation if demanding CT must be accomplished.

Aim of this study was to introduce a feasible and valid technique for the assessment of masticatory performance that is comparable to the standard sieving method. Twenty-one chewing samples (Optosil) comminuted by healthy dentate adults were analysed with a sieving and scanning method. Scanning was performed using a conventional flatbed scanner (1200dpi). All scanned images underwent image analysis (ImageJ), which yielded descriptive parameters such as area, best-fitting ellipse for each particle. Of the 2D-image, a volume was estimated for each particle, which was converted into a weight. To receive a discrete distribution of particle sizes comparable to sieving, five chewing samples were used to calculate a size-dependent area-volume-conversion factor. The sieving procedure was carried out with a stack of 10 sieves, and the retained particles per sieve were weighed. The cumulated weights yielded by either method were curve-fitted with the Rosin-Rammler distribution to determine the median particle size x(50) . The Rosin-Rammler distributions for sieving and scanning resemble each other. The distributions show a high correlation (0·919-1·0, n= 21, P<0·01, Pearson's correlation coefficient). The median particle sizes vary between 3·83 and 4·77mm (mean: 4·31) for scanning and 3·53 and 4·55mm (mean: 4·21) for sieving. On average, scanning overestimates the x(50) values by 2·4%. A modified Bland-Altman plot reveals that 95% of the x(50) values fall within 10% of the average x(50) . The scanning method is a valid, simple and feasible method to determine masticatory performance.

The OSCE is reliable and valid in the context of preclinical dentistry. The cost is substantial. The problem of improvement of students' results with ascending circuit number has to be addressed.

No abstract

Within the limitations of this study, results from immediate loading of two implants in the edentulous mandible with either Locator or bar attachments hardly differed. Prosthetic complications and aftercare measures in the Locator group were frequent but easy to handle. Ease of repair and cleaning, in particular, might be reasons for choosing the single-attachment system.

Immediate adaptation to experimental-balancing interferences is known to affect jaw kinematics and electromyographic activity (EMG). However, little is known about the influence on masticatory performance parameters. This study hypothesises that balancing-side interferences significantly reduce the performance of the masticatory system. Twenty-one healthy subjects (eleven female, mean age: 24.1 ± 1.2 years) chewed standardised silicone cubes performing 15 masticatory cycles on the right side under three experimental conditions: (i) natural dentition (ND), (ii) splints with structured occlusal profiles (SS) (iii) splints with balancing interferences in the left molar region (OI). The particle size distribution was determined by a validated scanning procedure and curve fitted with the Rosin-Rammler function to determine X(50)-values. The EMG of both temporalis and masseter muscles was recorded simultaneously, and the total muscle work (TMW) was calculated. A jaw-tracking device recorded the incisal movement path (IMP). The functional parameters under the experimental conditions were compared by repeated-measures analysis of variance. The findings confirm our hypothesis. The X(50)-values differed significantly (P < 0.01) between ND and OI (4.34 vs. 4.60 mm), and between SS and OI (4.34 vs. 4.60 mm), respectively. In contrast, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed between SS and ND. There was no significant difference in both TMW (1269.0 vs. 1284.9 vs. 1193.9 μV*s) and IMP (720.2 vs. 735.3 vs. 723.1 mm) amongst the three conditions (P > 0.05). These findings confirm the assumption that the disturbance of the habitual chewing cycles by balancing-side interferences significantly reduces the masticatory performance in the short term. Occlusal balancing-side interferences are common technical failures of dental restorations. Simulation of this condition caused deterioration of masticatory performance in healthy young adults. Further studies should be carried out, on whether the observed effect is long-term and whether masticatory performance decreases even more in patients with reduced adaptive capacity.

There are numerous scientific articles of studies on the prevalence of disorders with non-standardised examination and diagnostic protocols. Because their quality is heterogeneous, a new instrument has been developed for the assessment of such studies. The new instrument is based mainly on statistical criteria. The points assigned for each of the main criteria according to the information gained from each paper are summed up to form a Total Quality Score (TQS). The interrater reliability of the instrument was tested by employing Kappa and Interrater Correlation Coefficient (ICC) statistics. The latter was assessed on the results of three independent investigators. The new quality instrument appeared to be easy to use, and the instructions were comprehensible. The ICC((2,1)) for the TQS ranged between 0.94 and 1.00 indicating almost perfect agreement between the investigators. The reliability of the new instrument enables its use for scientific review purposes. In this way, its validity will also be tested. The instrument could be adopted for assessment of scientific articles of studies on the prevalence of disorders in many, similar, scientific areas.