Reliable measurement of incisal bite force for understanding the control of masticatory muscles

Abstract Objective In the present study, we aimed at evaluating the steadiness of incisal bite force during isometric contractions of masticatory muscles. Design Two separate experiments were carried out in 11 healthy young women. A first experiment was performed to test the reliability of our protocol for measurement of incisal bite force steadiness. The second experiment aimed to evaluate the steadiness of incisal bite force at four submaximal (i.e., percentage of maximum voluntary contraction, MVC) levels (5%MVC, 10%MVC, 15%MVC, and 20%MVC), along with the bilateral myoelectric activity of two masticatory muscles (temporalis and masseter). Results The results from the first experiment showed that our protocol is substantially reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC > 0.80) for estimating force variability and moderate reliable (0.60  Conclusion Therefore, we presented a reliable method to estimate the incisal bite force, along with additional data on force control and myoelectric activity of jaw elevator muscles during isometric steady contractions.