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Development of a synthetic bolus using silicone elastomer for the study of masticatory efficiency
D Compagnon1, J L Veyrune, M Morenas
1Department of Prosthetics, Faculty of Dentistry of Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Statement Of Problem:
Masticatory efficiency has been proposed as an outcome measure for prosthetic rehabilitation. However, no standardized method is available for this type of assessment.
Purpose:
This study developed a normalized synthetic test food with reproducible physical and rheologic properties.
Material And Methods:
Two silicone putties of different hardness were studied. The texture of each putty varied by the addition of silicone oil. Rheologic characteristics of 7 samples were compared with the same properties of 5 natural food substances.
Results:
Seven varieties of synthetic bolus were produced, each of which were of a different hardness, modulus of elasticity, and tensile strength. The natural food substances demonstrated great rheologic variability. The synthetic bolus samples exhibited a texture profile approaching that of natural foods. The principal difference between the 2 groups tested was that of the homogeneity of the silicone samples.
Conclusion:
None of the samples reproduced all the rheologic properties of the natural food substances; however, the results showed that their characteristics were sufficiently similar for the silicone samples to be suggested as a reproducible alternative for the testing of masticatory efficiency.