Mastication Flashcards
What are the main mechanisms of ingestion?
- Transport = food from lips to cheek teeth (molars, premolars)
- Mastication
- Transport II = food from cheek teeth to back of tongue
- Swallow
What’s the purpose of mastication?
- Break down food
- Stimulate salivary flow
- Contributes to taste and smell by releasing chemicals
- Growth and maintenance of oro-facial tissue
How important is mastication for the absorption of food in the gut?
Very important for absorbing:
- Red meat
- Vegetables
Important for:
1. White meat
Not important for:
- Fish
- Egg
- Bread
A poor dentition will mean…
poor mastication and individuals will have more gut disorders
What are the 4 mechanisms of mastication?
- Jaw movements
- Lip movements (anterior oral seal)
- Tongue movements
- Cheek movements
Chewing Cycle: how long does it last and what are the phases?
- 5 - 1.2 seconds
- Opening
- Closing (fast = crushing phase & slow = grinding phase)
- Intercuspal (centric occlusion)
- Contact = tooth-food-tooth and tooth-tooth
Lateral jaw movements: What’s the working side?
Functional side
- Side to which the mandible moves
- Where food is placed
Lateral jaw movements: What’s the balancing side?
Non-functional side
- Where the mandible moves from
Chewing cycles: How does grinding and chopping differ?
Grinding - wider circular movement
Chopping - thinner circular movement
How does the Condylar head move during opening?
Working side head:
- Rotates
- Moves slightly laterally (Bennett Movement)
Balancing side head:
1. Moves downwards, forwards and medially
How does the Condylar head move during closing?
Working side head:
- Moves medially (back to normal position in glenoid fossa)
- Rotates back to norm orientation
Balancing side head:
1. Moves upwards, backwards and laterally (back to norm position in glenoid fossa)
What factors influence the chewing cycle pattern?
- Food consistency
- Tooth or brittle - Quality and quantity of tooth contact
- Tall cusps + deep fossae = vertical chewing strokes
- Flattened or worn teeth = broader chewing strokes - Presence or absent of pain
- TMJ pain = shorter, sloer and irregular pathway
What is Masticatory performance?
- Ability to break down food morsels into small particles / number of chewing strokes required to prepare a mouthful for swallowing
The number of chewing strokes required to prepare a mouthful of food for swallowing is correlated with?
Total occlusal contact area
- the greater the occlusal contact area the greater the masticatory performace (%)
What are the classes of movements of mastication?
- Voluntary
- result of a deliberate effort of will
e. g. speech - Reflex
- A given sensory input evokes a stereotyped motor response - Cyclical
