title: Masticatory efficiency and bite force in individuals with normal occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to evaluate and correlate masticatory efficiency (ME) and maximum bite force (MBF) in adult individuals of both genders with normal occlusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in a university research centre. ME and MBF were evaluated in 55 adults (27 men and 28 women) with normal occlusion. All subjects chewed four fuchsin capsules (two on the right and two on the left molar region) for 15 chewing cycles with a 3-min interval between capsules. The concentration of fuchsin in the capsules was determined by spectrophotometry and stratified by gender and chewing side. Bite force (BF) was measured three times on both the left and right molars; the highest value of the three measurements on each side was taken as the MBF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ME was higher in women (right side, 1.17±016μg/mL; left side, 1.20±0.15μg/mL) than in men (right side, 0.92±0.24μg/mL; left side, 0.89±0.24μg/mL). The MBF was higher in men (right side, 632±174N; left side, 627±170N) compared with women (right side, 427±140N; left side, 420±112N). No significant differences in chewing efficiency and BF were found between sides for both genders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women showed the highest ME, while men had the highest MBF, with no correlation between these two parameters among genders.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rogério Alexandre Modesto
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: de Abreu
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: maxdp@terra.com.br.
authors.forename: Max Domingues
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabianne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Furtado
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriela Pereira Ribeiro
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pediatrics and Preventive and Sanitary Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Universidade de São Paulo, Campus Ribeirão Preto (USP-RP), SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mestriner
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lydia Masako
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001732:Bite Force; D001938:Brazil; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology*; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Bite force; Dental occlusion