Dynamic influence of food consistency on the masticatory motion

The masticatory cycle is a complex process and it depends on many factors. In our study we wanted to prove to what extent various types of food consistency influence the masticatory motions, especially the extent of forward, downward and lateral motions of the mandible. Nineteen study subjects aged from 20 to 37 years and with intact teeth rows were asked to chew three types of food of various consistency (banana, bread and carrot). The motions of the mandible were recorded by stereo-photo-grammetric system. Study results have shown that in all 19 study subjects the increase in food consistency increases the extent of masticatory motions. The average size of forward mandibular motion in all 19 study subjects when chewing banana amounts to 2.65 mm, when chewing bread it is 2.96 mm and 3.64 mm when chewing carrot. The average size of downward mandibular motion for all 19 study subjects amounts to 6.79 mm when chewing banana, 7.17 mm when chewing bread and 8.09 mm when chewing carrot. The average size of lateral mandibular motion in all 19 study subjects amounts to 2.46 mm when chewing banana, 2.80 mm when chewing bread and 3.40 mm when chewing carrot. Although varying from subject to subject, the masticatory cycle significantly depends on food consistency. By increasing the consistency of a mouthful, the extent of mandibular motion increases in every single study subject.