The silent period in the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles in young adult subjects unaware of mandibular dysfunction symptoms.

In fourteen individuals unaware of mandibular dysfunction symptoms, latency and duration of the silent period in the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles at tooth tapping and jaw jerk were reasonably reproducible after 5 weeks and 5 months. Although the subjects felt no discomfort in the stomatognathic system, in some of them mild to moderate muscle tenderness, TMJ sound and occlusal disharmony were found at clinical examination. The relationship between these symptoms and the silent period was analysed. Muscle tenderness was the only factor to affect the silent period. The subjects with muscle soreness had a shorter duration of the silent period than the subjects without such symptoms.