Functional processes when wearing the SII appliance during the day.

In 20 subjects the neuromuscular activity during the day was divided into six different activities and recorded. In the case of typical application of the SII appliance for 4 hours in the afternoon and the free organization of this time by the patient himself, most of the time fell into the area "intellectual activity" followed by the area "manual activity". Since the term "functional orthodontics" naturally describes the function, this should be realized most impressively when wearing such an appliance during the day. During the day there are mouth opening and closing movements of varying frequency with quite different amplitudes. Conversation as well as reading a text aloud can be considered favorable in terms of neuromuscular adaptation. Obviously, the relatively short habituation period soon results in the patient not needing the bars as guiding bars any more (this is in contrast to investigations during nocturnal sleep). In other words, the patient needs them only for a brief time to influence the muscles in such a way that the neuromuscular masticatory pattern is virtually independent of the bars. Only during intellectual and practical activity does the patient rest on the inclined plane with the help of the bars and execute small movements. Consequently, wearing the SII appliance during the day can be regarded as extremely important to the success of treatment. Important neuromuscular influences occur while doing homework as well as during intellectual activity. Wearing the appliance during the day corresponds to neuromuscular programming, so that the term "functional orthodontic appliance" is completely correct. Since there are only about 600 biting actions during the night, a functional orthodontic appliance should definitely be worn for a certain time during the day too, in order not to jeopardize the neuromuscular adaptation.