A pendulum system to deliver reproducible taps on single teeth to elicit silent periods in the electromyograms of human jaw muscles.
To deliver taps on single teeth, an easily-constructed pendulum system was designed which delivers mechanical stimuli with a constant intensity and morphology at high tapping rates. By interchanging the tips of the hammer mounted as a pendulum, the characteristics of the mechanical pulses can be modified. An electromagnetic brake makes the system insensitive to inevitable small variations of the head position. As no sound is produced prior to and up to 400 ms after the tap on the tooth, expectation patterns or acoustic reflexes which may influence the silent period are avoided. The system can also be used in animals.