Associations between upper lip activity and incisor position.
BACKGROUND
Muscle activity in the upper lip may influence the positions of the upper and lower incisors.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the associations between muscle activity in the upper lip and the inclinations of the incisors, overjet and overbite.


METHODS
Forty-five subjects (29 girls, 16 boys), between 11 and 15 years of age with predominantly Class I malocclusion, were used. The inclinations of the incisors, overjet and overbite were measured on lateral cephalometric radiographs. Bipolar electrodes were placed on the upper lip to record the activity in orbicularis oris muscle at rest, during maximal clenching, chewing hazelnuts and swallowing. Correlation coefficients between the cephalometric variables and the electromyographic (EMG) activity in the upper lip were calculated.


RESULTS
There was no gender difference in the EMG activity in the upper lip. There were no statistically significant associations between the EMG activities in the upper lip and the inclinations of the incisors, overjet and overbite.


CONCLUSIONS
The positions of the incisors do not appear to be influenced by muscle activity in the upper lip.
Kilic
Nihat
N
Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey. nkilic@atauni.edu.tr
D000293:Adolescent; D002508:Cephalometry; D002648:Child; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology*; D008046:Lip / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D008311:Malocclusion, Angle Class I / Q000473:pathology; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000473:pathology; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000473:pathology; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted