THE primary purpose of the masticatory process is to apply forces to the nutritional substances which are taken into the mouth, thereby causing a reduction in their size. The mechanism for this action includes the medium of tooth structure which not only applies these forces directly to the food masses, but is itself subject to the effects of these forces. In general, the effects of forces appl...

Neuroimaging studies have consistently identified brain activation in the motor area and the cerebellum during chewing. In this study, we further investigated the structural and functional brain signature associated with masticatory performance, which is a widely used index for evaluating overall masticatory function in the elderly. Twenty-five healthy elderly participants underwent oral examin...

A fibrous or flabby ridge is a superficial area of mobile soft tissue affecting the maxillary or mandibular alveolar ridges. Restoration of such ridges often requires special consideration in impression making. Masticatory forces can displace this mobile denture-bearing tissue, leading to altered denture positioning and loss of peripheral seal. Forces exerted during the act of impression making...

Transmission of masticatory load in mandibular implant-retained overdentures was evaluated using a three-dimensional finite element model. The reaction forces on the distal edentulous mucosa and the stress on the perimplant bone were compared in overdentures retained either by two ball attachments or by two clips on a bar connecting two implants. In the finite element model, a 35 N load on the ...

Practitioners appreciate a practical approach to all aspects of treatment; splint therapy is no exception. The purpose of this article is to review the current understanding of how splints work, describe various splint types and their uses, and suggest how to ensure their proper design, fabrication, and adjustment. Splint therapy may be defined as the art and science of establishing neuromuscul...

Unilateral Posterior Crossbite with functional shift of the mandible is a common condition. Early treatment of the condition may prevent adverse effects on temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscles. Many treatment options have been discussed in the literature so far. During the deciduous and early mixed dentition stages, smaller forces can be used to achieve sutural expansion. When expans...

To quantitatively assess masticatory efficiency and/or food texture changes during chewing, the jaw movements and forces of human chewing behaviour need to be reproduced. We have proposed a robotic solution where a parallel mechanism with six degrees of freedom (DOF) is developed and based on the biological model of human mastication system. This paper presents such a robot and outlines the des...

Prosthodontic practice should always concentrate on procedures that prevent the excessive loss of jaw bone and those that contribute in maintaining the alveolar ridge height. Overdentures are one such option wherein roots prevent alveolar bone resorption, provide better load transmission, maintain sensory feedback and achieve better stability of denture with emphasis on psychological aspect of ...

Cat masticatory muscle during regeneration expresses masticatory-specific myofibrillar proteins upon innervation by a fast muscle nerve but acquires the jaw-slow phenotype when innervated by a slow muscle nerve. Here, we test the hypothesis that chronic low-frequency stimulation simulating impulses from the slow nerve can result in masticatory-to-slow fiber-type transformation. In six cats, the...

Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) is a complex disturbance that involves the masticatory muscles and/or temporomandibular joint, causing damage to the masticatory function. This study evaluated the electromyographic activity of the masseter muscle during habitual mastication of bread, apple, banana, cashew nut and paraffin film (Parafilm M) in 25 adult subjects, of both gender, with TMD. The ...