Relationship between mandibular position and the coordination of masseter muscle activity during sleep in humans

Although bruxism has been regarded as having a possibly important role in the aetiology of craniomandibular disorders, the activity of masticatory muscles relative to mandibular position during sleep grinding as recorded by electromyography (EMG) has not yet been clarified. Surface EMGs of the bilateral superficial masseter muscles were recorded simultaneously with mandibular position during sleep from 12 volunteers for three consecutive nights. The incidence of two mandibular positions were recorded with magnetic sensors for both left- and right-sided mandibular grinding. One of the mandibular positions was the canine edge-to-edge position, and the other was the midpoint between the intercuspal position and the canine edge-to-edge position. The mode of the working/balancing activity ratio ranged from 1/10 to 2/10, showing the marked predominance of balancing side masseter muscle activity during sleep grinding. During sleep grinding, EMG bursts of masseter muscle were observed mainly with mediotrusive mandibular movement from the canine edge-to-edge position. From the results of the present study, it is suggested that muscular dynamics during sleep are unique compared to that during voluntary clenching, and exert a greater mechanical load to the balancing side temporomandibular joint.