Abstract
To investigate the txture of food suitable to the development of the infant palate, we felt that there was a need to develop testing method using a plunger and cup based on the morphology of the palate of infants. We developed a plunger and cup, taking into consideration the recognition of food by the tongue as well as the relationship between the food is pushed against it and the motion of the tongue. When producing the plunger and the cup we used serial dental casts (with at least 4 months of follow up) obtained from 5 males and 4 females during the first year of life at five month intervals.
We developed the plunger and cup for obtaining the results of measurements. A plunger was produced that examined medial palatal width, the morphology when the tongue was pressed into the palate and the situation when the tongue pressed food to the palate. A cup was produced that examined maximum palatal width, posterior palatal width, para alveolar wall width, anterior palatal length, maximum palatal height and the space of para alveolar wall height. With the production of a plunger and cup the medial palatal width, it was possible to develop a test system which resembles the movement when the food is pressed to the palate by the tongue, the most important and basic movement for infants when partaking of food.
We established Physical Property Test System for Infant and Baby Food development using a Plunger and a Cup well suited to the form of infantile oral cavity.
