tyggefunktion

Tyggefunktion is a Danish term used in dental and biomechanical contexts to describe the functional aspects of mastication—the process by which food is broken down in the mouth. The word combines tygge, "chew," and funktion, "function." In practice, the term covers the coordinated activity of the masticatory system, including the jaw muscles (masseter, temporalis, pterygoids), the temporomandibular joint, teeth, tongue, and saliva, as well as neural control that governs rhythmic openings, closings, and grinding motions. It encompasses bite force, chewing cycle duration, chewing side preference, and occlusal contacts during food processing.

Assessment and study of tyggefunktion commonly use electromyography (EMG) of the masticatory muscles, jaw-tracking kinematics, bite-force measurements, and occlusal analysis. Imaging techniques such as CT or MRI may support analyses of structure and function, particularly in complex cases or during prosthetic planning.

Clinical relevance is most evident in dentistry and prosthodontics, where understanding tyggefunktion informs restoration design, occlusal adjustment, joint treatment, and rehabilitation after dental trauma or tooth loss. It also relates to digestion efficiency and speech in some contexts. The term may vary in usage across languages and lacks a single universal metric, so researchers may describe specific components (muscle activity, forces, and kinematics) rather than a composite score.

See also: mastication, occlusion, temporomandibular joint, bite force, masticatory muscle.