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Definition

The Percentage Overlapping Coefficient (POC) indicates, in percentage, how similar it is not only in terms of intensity of contraction but also in terms of activation time, the influence of dental contact on the muscles in the left antimere compared to the right one (overlap of the activation areas). It is possible to identify POC indices relative to the pair of masseters "POC MM" or anterior temporals "POC TA".

 

Examples

A hypothetical 100% POC identifies that the analyzed muscle pair is influenced in the same amount by the dental contact. This implies that the activation areas will be very similar in intensity and duration of contraction, as in the left image. This does not exclude that the electrical activity that the muscles have generated may be higher or lower than the standardization test.

The POC is elaborated in all the protocols available to compare the activities of masseters, temporals, sternocleidomastoids and trapezoids. 95% of healthy subjects have POC values ​​between 80% and 90%.

In case of lower values, a situation similar to the one shown in the right-hand images may appear, in which the activation areas, although exhibiting a similar activity in terms of intensity of activation, show a low overlap due to different activation times.

 

Consequences

Ultimately the POC is an index of performance symmetry, it describes if the muscles we are analyzing respond in a synchronized way to the dento-periodontal influences encountered during a maximal intercuspidal exercise.