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Assessment of Students’ Knowledge of Anatomical Structures Involved in Mastication

Abstract

The study assesses students’ knowledge of the anatomical structures involved in mastication, with emphasis on the structures responsible for the biting, chewing, grinding, and coordinated movement of food within the oral cavity. Mastication involves the coordinated action of the teeth, mandible, temporomandibular joints, muscles of mastication, tongue, lips, cheeks, and associated nerves. Knowledge of these structures is important for understanding the anatomical basis of chewing and the relationship between oral structures and normal masticatory function. The study will assess students’ knowledge of the location, structure, and functions of the major anatomical components involved in mastication. Specific objectives will include identifying the muscles of mastication and their attachments, assessing knowledge of the mandible and temporomandibular joints, identifying the major teeth and their roles in mastication, and determining students’ understanding of the tongue, oral muscles, and neural structures involved in coordinating chewing movements. A cross-sectional descriptive research design will be adopted for the study. Undergraduate students will be selected using an appropriate sampling technique, and data will be collected through a structured questionnaire and, where applicable, image-based or practical identification of relevant anatomical structures. The assessment will cover the muscles, bones, joints, teeth, soft tissues, and neural structures involved in mastication, including their anatomical relationships and functional roles. Data obtained will be analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, with appropriate inferential tests applied where necessary. The study is expected to reveal varying levels of knowledge among the students regarding the anatomical structures involved in mastication. Students may demonstrate better knowledge of major structures such as the mandible, teeth, and principal muscles of mastication, while detailed knowledge of muscle attachments, temporomandibular joint structures, accessory muscles, and neural supply may present greater difficulties. Differences in knowledge may also be observed according to students’ level of study and exposure to practical anatomy learning. The findings will be useful to anatomists, anatomy educators, dental students, dentists, orthodontists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals involved in the assessment and management of masticatory function. The study may identify areas of masticatory anatomy that require greater emphasis during theoretical and practical teaching and may support the use of dental models, anatomical specimens, diagrams, and other visual learning resources to improve students’ understanding of the structures involved in chewing. The study will conclude by documenting students’ knowledge of the anatomical structures involved in mastication and identifying areas of strength and difficulty in their understanding of masticatory anatomy. It is recommended that practical demonstrations, anatomical models, dental specimens, labelled illustrations, and functional anatomy activities be incorporated into anatomy teaching to strengthen students’ identification and understanding of the structures involved in mastication. Further studies involving larger and more diverse student populations should also be conducted to provide broader information on knowledge of the anatomical basis of mastication.

Keywords: Mastication, masticatory anatomy, anatomical structures, anatomical knowledge, undergraduate students, muscles of mastication, mandible, temporomandibular joint, teeth, tongue, oral cavity, masticatory muscles, trigeminal nerve, anatomy education, functional anatomy.