Electrical activity of the anterior temporal and masseter muscles in mouth and nasal breathing children.

UNLABELLED Mouth breathing has been associated with severe impact on the development of the stomatognathic system. AIM This paper aims to analyze the electromyographical findings and patterns of electrical activity of the anterior temporal and masseter muscles in mouth and nasal breathing children. MATERIAL AND METHOD The patients were divided into two groups: mouth breathers (n=17) and nasal breathers (n=12). The children underwent bilateral electromyographic examination of the anterior temporal and masseter muscles at maximal intercuspal position and during usual mastication. A Myosystem Br-1 electromyograph with 12 acquisition channels, amplification with total gain of 5938, rate of acquisition of 4000 Hz, and band-pass filter of 20-1000Hz, was used in the examination. The signal was processed in Root Mean Square(RMS), measured in microV, analyzed and expressed as a normalized percentage. The data set was statistically treated with the T-test (Student). RESULTS The observed level of electrical activity in the mouth breathing (MB) group was lower in all analyzed muscles, with statistical significance found only in the left temporal muscle; during mastication, mouth breathers also presented increased electrical activity on the right side and on the temporal muscle. CONCLUSION Mouth breathing impacts the electrical activity of the muscles studied at maximal intercuspal position and during usual mastication.