Assessment of masticatory and cervical muscles' thickness by ultrasonography in patients with facial asymmetry

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the thickness of masticatory and cervical muscles (temporalis, masseter and sternocleidomastoid) and facial asymmetries in young patients.METHODS: 21 subjects were selected, through a detailed anamnesis and clinical examination, in order to assess the normality of oral tissues, the presence of normal occlusion, the absence of alteration in tooth dimensions and of congenital or developmental anomalies of lips, mouth or face. RESULTS: The present investigation showed that temporalis, masseter and sternocleidomastoid muscles in untreated and growing individuals with facial asymmetries are thinner on the omolateral side when compared with controlateral normal side, but in the untreated one this value is more statistically significantly. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the cervical muscle's thickness resulted increased in young patients Ultrasound is beginning to be recognized to have potential use in dentistry as a safe, noninvasive, comfortable and cost-effective adjunct to diagnosis by producing high-resolution images more easily than magnetic resonance (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) (27-kubo).