Differences in Pain Threshold Values of Masseter and Temporalis Muscles Before and After Mastication

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the differences in the pain thresholds of the masseter and temporalis muscles before and after chewing at the 5th and 10th minutes. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the pain thresholds of the muscles in both sides of 43 non-TMD subjects were measured using a digital algometer before and after chewing the bubble gum Xylitol for 5 and 10 min. The values of the muscles before and after mastication at the 5th and 10th were analyzed using Repeated ANOVA. A difference in the values between the left and right sides of the muscles were analyzed using independent t-test, and among the age groups using one-way ANOVA. Results: Average pain threshold values were 1.76 and 1.93 KgF/cm 2 for the masseter and temporalis muscles. ANOVA tests indicated significant differences in the values of the muscles before and after mastication at the 5th and 10th min (p=0.000 vs. p<0.001). The differences in the values between the left and right sides of the muscles (p>0.05) and among the age groups (p>0.05) showed no significant difference. However, the values between temporalis and masseter and the values between men and women for each session revealed a significant difference (p<0.05). Conclusion: The masseter and temporalis pain threshold values were reduced 10 min after chewing. The values in both sides of the masseter and temporalis muscles and in different age groups were the same. The temporal muscle and men showed a higher pain threshold than the masseter muscle and women, respectively.

Monitoring of Changes in Masticatory Muscle Stiffness after Gum Chewing Using Shear Wave Elastography

“…The study design is depicted in Figure 1. The masseter and temporalis muscle stiffness was measured with the Aixplorer Ultimate device (SuperSonic Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France) with a high-frequency linear The masseter and temporalis muscle stiffness was measured with the Aixplorer Ultimate device (SuperSonic Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France) with a high-frequency linear probe SL 18-5 (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). During the shear wave elastography examination, the patients were lying in a supine position.…”

“…This study aimed to investigate how chewing gum intensively affects the stiffness of the masseter and temporalis muscle measured with shear wave elastography. We assumed that those muscles would not be equally affected because the masseter muscle is most often involved in TMD [ 12 , 13 ]. Furthermore, TMD symptoms, such as muscle pain and hypertrophy, concern the masseter muscle to a greater extent than the temporalis muscle [ 14 ].…”