| mastication | The process of chewing food in preparation for swallowing and digestion. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| components of mastication | The various jaw movements that are made during the act of mastication, as determined by the neuromuscular system, the temporomandibular articulations, the teeth, and the food being chewed; divided, for purposes of analysis or description, into opening, closing, left lateral, right lateral, and anteroposterior component's. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| muscles of mastication | Muscles derived from the first (mandibular) arch used in chewing; all receive innervation from the motor root of the trigeminal nerve via its mandibular division. See: masseter muscle, temporalis muscle, lateral pterygoid muscle, medial pterygoid muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| force of mastication | The motive force created by the dynamic action of the muscles during the physiologic act of mastication. Synonym: biting strength, masticatory force. (05 Mar 2000) |