Masticatory Performance and Chewing Cycle Kinematics: An Overview

The mastication is the most important function of this morphofunctional system, since its contribution to growth, development and maintenance of osteodental arcs and the craniofacial complex. Masticatory movements in man are almost cyclic and mainly vertical. The precise movements depend on many factors, such as the amount of food, its consistency and the morphology of the occlusal planes. Chewing movements and chewing forces result from a coordinated pattern of muscle activities. The basic pattern results from a central pattern generator in the brain stem. To understand aspects of physiology of masticatory function contributes to the use of therapeutic strategies in diseases that affect the stomatognathic system. The aim of this paper is to review the current concepts in the physiology of mastication.