Side switch frequency while masticating different chewing materials, and its relationship with other masticatory...

Area of Science:

• Oral physiology
• Biomechanics of mastication

Background:

• Masticatory side switch (MSS) is a key aspect of chewing mechanics.
• Establishing normative data for MSS frequency is crucial for understanding oral function in healthy populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine normative values for masticatory side switch (MSS) frequency in young Mexican adults.
• To investigate the relationship between various masticatory indices and MSS frequency across different food materials.

Main Methods:

• 101 dentate adults participated in four masticatory assays with different food types (gum, crackers, bread).
• Masticatory side switch index (MSSI), unilateral chewing index, cycle duration, and pre-swallowing cycles were measured.
• Sensory perceptions (flavor, saliva, muscle fatigue) were also recorded.

Main Results:

• The mean MSSI was 0.28, with an 80-central percentile range of 5-50% of maximum side changes.
• Lower MSS frequency was associated with male sex, soft food consistency, and the final chewing period.
• MSSI showed high correlation across different foods and negatively correlated with unilateral chewing index and sweet cracker cycle count.

Conclusions:

• Normative MSS frequency in healthy young adults is approximately 25-30%.
• Factors such as sex, food texture, and chewing stage influence MSS frequency.
• MSSI is a reliable measure across different masticatory tasks, but not significantly correlated with sensory perception.