PURPOSE: to raise and to characterize the chewing pattern in children with deciduous and mixed dentition. METHODS: 78 children, from 4 to 11-year old, both genders, divided in two groups: GI: children with complete deciduous dentition and GII: with mixed dentition. Visual inspection of the stomatognathic system was followed by the evaluation of chewing, using three portions of French bread, with the first portion ignored. Data analysis was carried through visual observation and video recording, in order to review and confirm the observed characteristics. The following items were analyzed: type of bite, lips' position, kneading with the tongue, ingested amount, chewing pattern, number of chewing cycles, mandibular movements, the use of fingers to join food and verification of overstated movement of the perioral muscles. RESULTS: we can consider that children of GI and GII have the following characteristics: frontal bite, regular amount of food, presence of lips closed, average of 27 chewing cycles for portion, rotatory mandible movements, absence of food tongue kneading, no use of fingers to join the food and no overstated movements of the perioral muscles. Significant statistical differences were not found between the two groups. Only the presence of kneading food with the tongue is more common in deciduous dentition. CONCLUSION: it seems that there are no differences of the chewing pattern characteristics in relation to the dentition phase, considering deciduous or mixed dentition, excepting food kneading with the tongue that is more frequent in deciduous dentition.
Mastication; Child; Dentition; Dentition Primary; Dentition, Mixed; Stomatognathic System
