Electromyographic Study of the Masseter Muscle after Lower Third Molar Surgery Estudio Electromiográfico del Músculo Masetero tras Cirugía de Tercer Molar Inferior

SUMMARY: Third molar extraction surgery is one of the most frequently performed procedures in the areas of buccal-maxillofacialtraumatology and surgery. The post-surgery evolution was evaluated based on the clinical evidence obtained so far. The objective of thisstudy was to analyze the post-surgery clinical evolution of the masseter muscle by means of surface electromyography, to evaluatemuscle activity. Four analyses were performed: one pre-surgery, to register the normal activity, and three in post-surgery: on the 7 th , 14 th and 21 st postoperative days, in a sample of 30 patients. On the 21 day, there was near normal recovery of the electrical signal of themasseter in women, but in men this activity did not reach normal levels. Surface electromyography is a safe and reliable tool for post-surgery evolution control of masseter function. KEY WORDS: Electromyography; Masseter muscle; Third molar; Electrodes. INTRODUCTION Surgical removal of the third molar (the "wisdomtooth") has become routine in dental clinics. Surgery isindicated in several situations, including orthodontic factors,poor positioning of the teeth and other factors, pericoronitisbeing the most frequent cause for extraction of third molarteeth. Third molars, when impacted in the bone, can causeinconvenience and are harmful to oral health, which justifiestheir extraction (Goldberg