Effect of tongue position on masseter and temporalis electromyographic activity during swallowing and maximal voluntary clenching: a cross‐sectional study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the tonic electromyographic (EMG) activity of the temporalis and masseter muscles following placement of the tongue either on the palate or in the floor of the mouth during swallowing and maximal voluntary clenching (MVC). Thirty healthy dental students with natural dentition and bilateral molar support, between the ages of 18 and 22, with no prior history of oro-facial injury, or current or past pain in the jaw, mouth or tongue participated in the study. Tonic masseter and temporalis EMG activities were recorded using surface electrodes. Subjects were instructed to passively place the tongue either on the anterior hard palate or in the floor of the mouth during swallowing and MVC. At each tongue position, the resulting EMG was recorded. During swallowing, no significant difference in EMG activity was found either for the masseter (P-value = 0.1592) or the temporalis (P-value = 0.0546) muscles, regardless of the tongue position. During MVC, there was a statistically significant difference for both the masseter (P-value = 0.0016) and the temporalis (P-value = 0.0277) muscles with lower levels recorded with the tongue in the floor of the mouth. This study found that in normal, pain-free subjects, placing the tongue in the floor of the mouth significantly reduces masticatory muscle activity during MVC. Thus, it may be considered as a possible therapeutic option to decrease masticatory muscle activity; however, further research is needed in patients with oro-facial pain.

Association between tongue muscle strength and masticatory muscle strength

“…In the present study, multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that MOF was a significant independent variable for predicting TP in both the adult and elderly groups after adjusting for confounding variables, including tooth loss. It has been reported that masticatory muscle activity during clenching is affected by tongue muscle activity . Specifically, the force of the tongue when it pushes against the palate during voluntary clenching is much greater than the force when the tongue is at rest.…”

The oromaxillofacial rehabilitation in orthodontic-surgical protocols

“…During early integration procedures, the important masticatory constraints are currently under review in the hopes of encouraging a faster, more efficient occlusal correction. The studies conducted by Takahashi 32 and de Valdés 36 emphasize the link between the efficiency of the masticatory muscles and a high lingual position.…”

Nasal CPAP therapy associated with masticatory muscle myalgia

“…All conditions were successfully under medical treatment (by means of dedicated pharmacotherapy); only his headache complaints, which were already present for many years, did not respond well to pharmacotherapy thus far. Other than the mentioned conditions, the patient received a diagnosis of severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) approximately 9 months earlier, with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 58 events/h, for which he received a nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) device (AirSense 10 Elite, ResMed; mean [range] pressure = 7.5 [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] cm H 2 O).…”