Association of feeding behavior with jaw bone metabolism and tongue pressure

In recent decades, the eating habits of children and adolescents have undergone many changes due to the diversification of lifestyles worldwide. Reduced masticatory function in growing animals results in changes in the mandible, including a decrease in bone mass. However, the influence of different eating behaviors on jaw bone metabolism (e.g., the palatal palate) during the growth period is not fully understood. In addition, recent clinical studies reported that masticatory performance is positively related to tongue pressure in adults, but no consensus has been reached regarding whether tongue pressure is related to masticatory performance in children. This review summarizes current findings related to these issues, focusing on the influence of different feeding behaviors on jaw bone metabolism, including the development of tongue pressure. Consumption of a soft diet had a negative impact on jaw bone metabolism in the maxilla and mandible of rats; however, mastication of a hard diet recovered the collapsed equilibrium of bone turnover caused by a soft diet during growth. Tongue pressure is closely associated with an increase in masticatory performance in children. Peak maximum tongue pressure is reached earlier in women than in men. Before reaching adulthood, women require intervention to increase their peak tongue pressure.