title: Chewing time and chewing strokes in different dentofacial deformities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify whether the number of chewing strokes and the chewing time are influenced by dentofacial deformities in habitual free mastication.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 15 patients with diagnosis of class II dentofacial deformity (GII), 15 with class III (GIII), and 15 healthy control individuals with no deformity (CG). Free habitual mastication of a cornstarch cookie was analyzed, considering the number of chewing strokes and the time needed to complete two mastications. Strokes were counted by considering the opening and closing movements of the mandible. The time needed to consume each bite was determined using a digital chronometer, started after the placement of the food in the oral cavity and stopped when each portion was swallowed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences between groups regarding both the number of strokes and the chewing time. However, with regards to the number of strokes, CG and GII presented a significant concordance between the first and the second chewing situation, which was not observed in GIII. The analysis of time showed significant concordance between the first and second chewing situation in CG, reasonable concordance in GII, and discordance in GIII.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dentofacial deformities do not influence the number of chewing strokes or the chewing time. However, class III individuals do not show uniformity regarding these aspects.
authors: Department of Oftalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. melissapicinato@yahoo.com.br
authors: Melissa Nara de Carvalho
authors: MN
authors: Picinato-Pirola
authors: Francisco Veríssimo de
authors: FV
authors: Mello-Filho
authors: Luciana Vitaliano Voi
authors: LV
authors: Trawitzki
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D063169:Dentofacial Deformities / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008312:Malocclusion, Angle Class II / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008313:Malocclusion, Angle Class III / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology*; D013996:Time and Motion Studies; D055815:Young Adult