The purpose of this study was to determine the stability of the terminal point of chewing movement in children. The subjects were divided in three groups: the primary dentition group which consisted of six subjects (5 boys, l girl); the early mixed dentition group which consisted of seven subjects (4 boys, 3 girls), and the permanent dentition group consisting of nine women. Chewing gum was chosen as the experimental foodstuff, and 10 chewing cycles were recorded from each subject. The lower

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... isal point and the working and non-working condyle were selected as reference movement points and tracked tridimensionally in six degrees of freedom with the TRIMET system. The most superior measuring point of each cycle was recognized as the terminal position of the masticator cycle. The standard deviation (SD) of 10 cycles from each subject, regarded as an index of stability, was calculated and compared between groups. Results: The SD was highest in the primary dentition group, and smallest in the permanent dentition group. In all groups, the SD of right and left directions was largest in three directions at the lower incisal points, and the anteroposterior direction was largest in both condyles. The lower incisal point's SD of the early mixed dentition group was similar to that of the primary dentition group, and the condyles' similar to the permanent dentition group.