K. Sakaguchi et al., Spaciostructural analyses of mandibular and perioral soft tissue movementsduring mastication, J ORAL REH, 28(10), 2001, pp. 982-990
We considered that elucidation of the movements of perioral soft tissues du
ring mastication would be useful in evaluating masticatory movements. Howev
er, evaluation of movements specific to soft tissues is difficult because m
ovements of the surface of the lower face during mastication include moveme
nts of the muscles of facial expression and mandibular movements. The aims
of this study were to elucidate the influence of mandibular movements on pe
rioral soft tissue movements during mastication using principal component a
nalysis (PCA) and to abstract the component of movement specific to soft ti
ssues in order to evaluate masticatory movements from the movements of peri
oral soft tissues. The subjects were 10 healthy persons with complete natur
al dentition. The experimental food used in this study was sufficiently sof
tened chewing gum. The results of this study showed that the movements of m
andibular and perioral soft tissue were closely related in the first and th
ird PCs; in other words, the second PC was the component of movement specif
ic to soft tissues. Thus, elucidation of the second PC is useful for evalua
tion of masticatory movements from movements of perioral soft tissues.