Thirty-three Years of Chewing on Mastication

This autobiographical review synthesizes over three decades of research on mastication, tracing its sensorimotor foundations, clinical implications, and systemic relevance. The narrative integrates experimental, clinical, and population-based studies conducted by the presenter and his collaborators. Chewing emerges as a highly adaptive motor behavior, dynamically modulated by pain, fatigue, and task demands. Reflex pathways and agonist–antagonist coordination reweight to protect oral tissues while maintaining efficiency. Temporomandibular joint loading during mastication can unmask structural vulnerability, whereas in aging and disease, compromised chewing correlates with poorer nutrition, impaired quality of life, and cognitive decline. Objective tools such as two-colour gum mixing tests have advanced functional assessment, yet causal links between restored mastication and systemic outcomes remain underexplored. This shows that mastication is not merely a local oral function but a bridge to broader health domains.