Relation of dietary preference to masticatory movement and masticatory exercises in Japanese children

Modern Japanese children have decreased masticatory function, which can be explained by the dietary change to soft foods. In earlier studies involving children with mixed dentition, masticatory exercises were shown to improve masticatory function and modify dental arch growth. Grinding type of mastication with a wide path reportedly increases lateral growth of the dental arch. This study aimed to assess the relationship between masticatory movements and dietary preference, and how masticatory exercises affected masticatory movement during Hellman's dental stages IIA to IIC (period of first molar eruption).

In 64 Japanese pre-school children, we measured masticatory movements with foods of five different levels of hardness and investigated the dietary preference for hard foods through a questionnaire. Participants were also required to perform masticatory exercises. Masticatory movements and dietary preference for hard foods were assessed at the start (T1), conclusion (T2), and after six months of exercises (T3). Participants were allocated to Wide and Narrow groups at T1 based on their masticatory path width.

Baguettes and bananas resulted in the widest and narrowest masticatory paths, respectively, at T1. Results of questionnaire indicated that those eating hard foods had a broad grinding type of masticatory path. Masticatory exercises significantly widened the masticatory path in the Narrow group demonstrating that masticatory exercises help children learn to chew with grinding strokes. Moreover, the masticatory path remained stable on assessment at T3 (six-month follow-up).

Masticatory exercises are effective in children who are unable to grind hard foods, affecting their dietary preferences.