Study of electromyographic indices in patients with small unilateral terminal defects

Today, there is a need for detailed study of muscular activity features in patients with small unilateral terminal dental defects. Modern prosthetic methods require assessment of their effectiveness in terms of restoring symmetric functioning of the masticatory apparatus. Aim of the study. To analyze electromyographic indices in patients with small unilateral terminal defects using various prosthesis designs: small saddle-shaped and clasp-fixed partial dentures, as well as traditional removable laminar dentures. Materials and methods. The study includes a prospective electromyographic examination of 77 patients divided into the main group (n = 40) and the control group (n = 37) with statistical processing. Surface electromyographic examination of the masticatory and temporal muscles on both sides was conducted at stages: before treatment, after 1 month, and 6 months after prosthetics using the “Kolibri” apparatus (Neurotech). Results and discussion. Statistically significant differences in muscle electromyography were obtained when using different prosthesis designs. The greatest changes were observed in groups with original prostheses, indicating more physiological masticatory load transmission. The increase in biopotential indices of the masticatory and temporal muscles ranged from 18.2 to 28.4 % in the main group compared to the control group. Conclusion. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of original prosthesis designs with clasp fixation, providing more physiological functioning of the masticatory muscles. The obtained results emphasize the importance of an individual approach to selecting the prosthetic method, taking into account the patient’s physiological characteristics and prosthesis design.