The aim was to compare the movements of the mandible during chewing different food types. We hypothesized that the mandibular movements would vary significantly between the food types. For each participant, we built and affixed the dental appliances and attached infra red emitting diodes to record the mandibular movements using a 3D motion capture device (Optotrak). Participants chewed on four test foods that varied in texture: Italian bread stick, dried beef stick, carrot and cheese. Results indicated greater amplitude of the lateral displacement of the mandibular movements when chewing cheese. The velocity of the lateral displacement was greater for soft foods such as cheese. The velocity of the horizontal displacement increased during beef chewing. Furthermore, we found shorter movement cycle duration while chewing carrot. We concluded that the movements of the mandible vary significantly during chewing different food types.

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