Journal of Dental Research, Vol 69, 1546-1550, Copyright © 1990 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Textural properties of food used in studies of mastication
J. S. Wang and C. S. Stohler
University of Michigan, School of Dentistry, Stomatognathic Physiology Laboratory, Ann Arbor 48109-1078.
Foods are known to influence jaw elevator muscle activity in chewing. With
the long-range goal of gaining insight into force control and modeling
muscle recruitment, these initial experiments were performed to determine
the textural properties of commonly used test food. Experiments were
carried out by means of a standard Instron instrument, equipped with a
compression cell. A stylus with 45-degree cuspal angulation and an opposing
copper-plated lower arch was used for approximation of the natural
situation. The breakage force characteristics of a single peanut, a carrot
cube, beefstick, and monkey chow were determined. The peanut demonstrated
the steepest and beefstick the least steep force build-up, with breaking
forces of 104 N (Newtons) for monkey chow, 66 N for the carrot, and 52 N
for the peanut. No clear breakage point was found with beefstick; the force
build-up showed an initial plateau at 25 N, which was followed by a
significantly steeper force increase to peak. We conclude that each of the
test foods commonly used in studies of mastication had particular breakage
characteristics in terms of its force-time curve.
