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To the Editor:

Department of Physiology & Biophysics Georgetown University School of Medicine Washington, DC 20007

Pera et al. (J Dent Res 81:179-181, 2002) in "Influence of Mastication on Gastric Emptying" showed that doubling the number of masticatory cycles during identical test meals shortened gastric emptying time and its preceding latency. They concluded that comminution of food significantly affected gastric emptying. I agree but believe that their discussion could have been more inclusive in two matters:

1. The possibility that taste may have influenced their findings was not mentioned. Increased chewing would favor greater intra-oral liberation of gustant molecules from food, increasing taste intensity. That action might potentiate the effect of the accompanying mastication.
   
2. More importantly, the mechanism by which mastication affected gastric emptying was overlooked. In its place was a citation that no such relationship occurred in subjects with complete dentures. To explain that disparity, three articles stating that such prostheses are not as efficient as the natural dentition were referenced. Although that is true, it is not germane to those negative findings.
   

A more likely basis is that full-denture wearers lack periodontal ligament mechanoreceptors. Afferent fibers from those sensors synapse in the brain with interneurons and ganglia of several cranial nerves. The latter, in turn, serve as efferent pathways for physiological activities related to mastication, e.g., salivary secretion (Anderson and Hector, 1987), jaw movements (Linden, 1990), neck position (Zeredo et al., 2002), and antral motility (Lorber, 2000). The efferent vagal pathway that increased antral motility might favor gastric emptying.

It is hoped that the article by Pera et al. is a prelude to further work by them and that it will encourage others to investigate the associations between mastication and the remainder of the alimentary tract distal to its beginning, the mouth.

REFERENCES

Anderson DJ, Hector MP (1987). Periodontal mechanoreceptors and parotid secretion in animals and man. J Dent Res66:518–523.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Linden RWA (1990). Periodontal mechanoreceptors and their functions. In: Neurophysiology of the jaws and teeth. Taylor H, editor. Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan, pp. 52-95.

Lorber M (2000). Results of simulated mastication suggest existence of a periodontogastric motility reflex. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 78:29–35.[Medline]

Zeredo JL, Toda K, Soma K (2001). Neck motor unit activities induced by inputs from periodontal mechanoreceptors in rats. J Dent Res 81:39–42.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Lorber Duodenal motor effects of simulated mastication FASEB J, April 1, 2007; 21(6): A1326 - A1326.

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