Neuroscience Letters

Volume 356, Issue 3, 19 February 2004, Pages 228-230

Effects of different jaw relations on postural stability in human subjects

Author links open overlay panelP.BraccoR.Piscetta

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2003.11.055Get rights and content

Abstract

Authors investigated the effects of different jaws relations on body posture in a sample of 95 subjects. All subjects underwent a posturometric and stabilometric analysis using a computerized footboard. Tests were performed in three mandibular positions: centric occlusion, rest position and myocentric position, respectively determined by teeth engagement, joints position, and muscles contraction. All subjects showed variations of body posture in the different mandibular positions. Statistical analysis (analysis of variance for repeated measures) confirmed that postural variations in different jaws relations were significant: in particular, the SKN multiple comparison test showed that myocentric position improved postural balance on frontal plane with respect to the other jaw positions considered.

Keywords

Trigeminal afferencesBody postureStabilometryPosturographyTranscutaneous electric neural stimulationMyocentric positionCentric relation