Effect of soft diets on craniofacial growth in mice.

The 300 C3H/He strain male mice were divided into 3 groups; solid, kneaded, and liquid diet groups. Each group was consisted of 5 cross-sectional subgroups, i.e. 3, 5, 7, 12 and 20 weeks subgroups. X-ray pictures of their craniofacial complex were measured to investigate the extent and time that growth retardation can be recognized in the cranium. As the results, soft diets could retard craniofacial growth, although it accelerated body growth. Increase of height and depth of distal part of mandible and all 3 dimensions of craniofacial complex were affected by taking soft diets through the growing period. Some of them were apparent even in weaning period. As the distal areas of both craniofacial complex and mandible are closely related to jaw function, growth retardation of this area could be explained as the skeletal adaptation to the soft diets.