Immediate Effects of Asymmetric Chewing on Temporomandibular Joint Kinematics

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study investigated the immediate biomechanical effects of unilateral mastication for 10 minutes on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with 21 healthy adult participants. @*Methods@#The gum group chewed gum on the right side for 10 minutes, and the control group rested for 10 minutes. Biomechanical data were obtained using a three-dimensional infrared camera before and after intervention. An independent t-test assessed the variation of kinematic data to identify differences between before and after intervention. @*Results@#Among biomechanical variables, the gum group’s length of the left forehead middle region and the temporomandibular joint angle decreased compared to the control group (p<0.05). @*Conclusion@#Caution with unilateral masticatory activity is recommended, as unilateral mastication causes biomechanical changes due to excessive load on the soft tissues of the contralateral TMJ.