The relationship between selected lateralization factors and chewing side preferences

Abstract

This article explores the phenomenon of the relationship between footedness and chewing preferences. Chewing, as one of the primary functions, is a very important activity from the perspective of speech therapy prevention and intervention. During eating, the teeth, masticatory muscles, tongue muscles, and muscles surrounding the oral cavity perform complex tasks and coordinate a series of precise movements (Pluta-Wojciechowska, 2013, p. 92–95). In this way, the biomechanical basis of the orofacial tract is formed, upon which proper articulation is built (Pluta-Wojciechowska, 2013, p. 44–46; 52). Chewing, belongs to the group of lateralized functions, is the activity performed asymmetrically. This phenomenon may be primarily correlated with the asymmetric anatomy of the brain and its functions. Researchers associated with medical sciences (dentistry, orthodontics, prosthetics), neurolinguistics, and neuropsychology are seeking connections between the lateralization and chewing preferences (Nissan and others, 2004; Barcellos and others, 2012; Rovia-Lastra and others, 2015; Lee and others, 2017). Unfortunately, in speech therapy these issues are very rarely discussed (Łuszczuk, 2020; Pluta‑Wojciechowska, 2022). It is suspected that the whole brain lateralization may allow for a more precise examination of the chewing pattern, help identify potential irregularities resulting from food processing habits, and consequently lead to conclusions that are significant for speech therapy practices. Due to the extensive nature of this topic, this article addresses only the issue of the correlation between footedness and the preferred chewing side.