Analysis of particles produced at the end of mastication in subjects with normal dentition.

A study was made to establish a norm for the frequency distribution of the size of particles produced by masticating a certain food item to its swallowable composition by normal dentate subjects. Only about 80% of the initial weight of food taken into the mouth could be recovered after mastication for particle size analysis. The particles ranged from 53 micrometers to 4750 micrometers, showing a positively skewed distribution with a mode value between 600 micrometers and 1200 micrometers.