Background/objectives: The aim of this study was to examine if a person's preferred chewing side (PCS) corresponds to his/her hemispheric body laterality (HBL) or is dominated by the dental state.

Methods: After ethical approval, 82 volunteers were recruited. Asymmetry of bite force (ABF) was tested using an occlusal force-meter (GM-10) on both sides separately. The occlusal contact area (OCA) was observed using a pressure-indicating film (GC Fujifilm Prescale). The PCS was evaluated using an asymmetry index (ASI) or a visual analogue scale (VAS). Both tests were repeated. For the HBL, participants underwent four different tests to assess handedness, footedness, earedness and eyedness, respectively. Statistical analysis comprised kappa agreement for HBL tests and their repetition, as well as paired Wilcoxon tests for intraoral parameters.

Results: Hand, eye and ear showed a substantial reproducibility, while foot produced moderate agreement (kappa = 0.58, p < 0.001). No correlation was found between a participant's PCS and HBL, with the exception of EAR with VAS (kappa = 0.29, p = 0.001). There was a significant correlation between ABF and the number of residual teeth (NNT) both for PCS (p < 0.01; r²  = 0.29) and NPCS (p < 0.01; r²  = 0.18). There was no significant difference between PCS and NPCS for OCA (p = 0.13). The results revealed a significantly higher number of residual posterior teeth on the participant's PCS (for VAS p < 0.0001; ASI p < 0.03).

Conclusion: Masticatory laterality does not correspond to body hemispheric laterality. Rather than HBL, the number of residual teeth seems to determine on which side a person prefers to chew.