[Silent period and initial occlusal sliding time in patients with premature contacts].

This study was designed to examine the relationship between frequency of silent period and initial occlusal sliding time. The subjects consisted of three volunteers with normal occlusal contacts and three patients with premature contacts. Electromyograms of the bilateral masseter muscles, initial occlusal contacts and jaw movements during the habitual tapping (20-25) were synchronously recorded and replayed using Takamatsu's technique. Results were as follows: 1. The frequency of silent period in the bilateral masseter muscles was 95-100% in subjects with normal occlusal contacts and 34-53% in patients with premature contacts. 2. The silent period latency in three normal subjects was 8.9 +/- 1.3 msec in the left masseter and 13.9 +/- 2.2 msec in the right masseter. The silent period latency in three patients with premature contacts was 12.4 +/- 2.6 msec in the left masseter and 13.9 +/- 8.2 msec in the right masseter. 3. The duration of silent period in three normal subjects was 12.4 +/- 2.6 msec in the left masseter and 11.1 +/- 3.7 msec in the right masseter. The duration of silent period in three patients with premature contacts was 9.1 +/- 1.7 msec in the left masseter and 11.1 +/- 5.6 msec in the right masseter. 4. Initial occlusal sliding time in three subjects with normal occlusal contacts was less than 30 msec, and 98% of all slidings lasted for less than 15 msec. Initial occlusal sliding times in patients with premature contacts were distributed between 6 and 80 msec (40%: 6 to 15 msec, 60%: greater than 15 to 80 msec).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)