Head Movements during Chewing: Relation to Size and Texture of Bolus

• Published in: Journal of dental research Vol. 83; no. 11; pp. 864 - 868
• Main Authors: Häggman-Henrikson, B., Eriksson, P.-O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States SAGE Publications 01.11.2004; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adult; Bolus; chewing; Chewing Gum; Dentistry; Female; Food; head; Head Movements; Humans; jaw; Male; Mandible - physiology; Mastication - physiology; Masticatory Muscles - physiology; Movement; neck; Neck Muscles - physiology; Nonparametric; Psychomotor Performance; Silicones; Statistics; Statistics, Nonparametric; head; jaw; bolus; chewing; neck
• ISSN: 0022-0345; 1544-0591; 1544-0591
• DOI: 10.1177/154405910408301108

Coordinated mandibular and head-neck movements during jaw opening-closing activities suggest a close functional linkage between the jaw and the neck regions. The present study investigated whether size and texture of bolus can influence head-neck behavior during chewing. Using an optoelectronic 3-D recording technique, we analyzed concomitant mandibular and head-neck movements in 12 healthy adults chewing small (3 g) and large (9 g) boluses of chewing gum and Optosil®. The main finding was a head extension during chewing, the amount of which was related mainly to bolus size. Furthermore, each chewing cycle was accompanied not only by mandibular movements, but also by head extension-flexion movements. Larger head movement amplitudes were correlated with larger size and, to some extent, also with harder texture of the bolus. The results suggest that head-neck behavior during chewing is modulated in response to changes in jaw sensory-motor input.