Influence of Measurement Technique, Test Food, Teeth and Muscle Force Interactions in Masticatory Performance

Abstract

The role of texture and flavors in mastication is evident, but it is difficult to understand the interactions among food properties, oral physiology and perception. Mastication results from rhythmic mandibular movements. The teeth and masticatory muscles together form the mechanism whereby the food particles are fragmented. Masticatory performance and efficiency are defined as the capacity to reduce natural or artificial test materials during mastication, or by counting the number of strokes required to reduce food, respectively. Foods eaten for nourishment are very different from the industrial test materials used to quantify masticatory performance, thus, divergences could arise if the chewable material can or cannot be swallowed. This study presents a synopsis of masticatory performance methods, which is also related to muscle force, number of teeth and test chewing substance diversity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The attributes of food, such as appearance, flavor and texture, as well as its interaction with saliva, number of teeth and conditions of the biomechanical system, influence the chewing process. In addition, reflex control and cognition can influence food perception and breakdown in the mouth. Food acceptability and choice depend on sensory properties of the food, which are perceived during chewing and swallowing. Masticatory performance and maximal occlusal force measurement may provide essential information that could lead to an appropriate diagnosis as regards masticatory function. Masticatory efficiency and performance can be measured to determine the individual's capacity to comminute a natural or a chewable test material. A material with uniform properties that can be reliably reproduced is essential to provide an ideal test bolus for the scientific study of masticatory effectiveness.

Impact of the Breakdown Behavior on Chinese Traditional Stewed Pork with Brown Sauce: Physical Properties Using Microstructural Analysis

“…Different changes in each subject of the saliva during different mastication stages for salivary secretion may be affected by the dispersion of food ingredients or taste substances [6]. In addition, food texture could be another factor significantly influencing subject saliva secretion [15]. Another interesting finding was the subject significantly affected bolus moisture content (62-85%) and saliva incorporated [16].…”

Métodos de evaluación del rendimiento masticatorio: Una revisión

“…Los alimentos naturales más utilizados han sido escogidos por tener poca variabilidad y, por lo tanto, ser buenos indicadores de diferencias entre las formas oclusales al masticar (8) . La ventaja de estos alimentos es que, al ser consumidos habitualmente, los sujetos que realizan el test están acostumbrados a masticarlos (43) , pero en cada ocasión, es difícil garantizar homogeneidad de las propiedades físicas de los alimentos. Se deben considerar ciertos factores como la época de cosecha, año e incluso el país de procedencia.…”

Protocol for production of a chewable material for masticatory function tests (Optocal - Brazilian version)

“…The tablets should be chewed for a determined number of cycles or during a specified time, depending on the aim of the study, and then spat out. The resulting particles and the degree of material breakdown can be determined by sieving or by optical methods [for more details see Gambareli et al 2 …”

“…3 Natural foods that are most preferred by the authors are: peanuts, almonds, cocoa, carrots, jelly, hazelnuts, decaffeinated coffee beans and nuts. 2,[4][5][6][7] The mechanical properties of natural food could change even within the first 0.2-0.3 s of the first chew as an effect of the oral environment. 8 Masticatory performance can determine an individual's capacity to grind or pulverize a chewable test material, artificial or natural, and results from a complex interplay of direct and indirect effects, as the number of functional tooth units, muscle (bite), 9 and by the size of the area and the occlusal surface of these teeth.…”