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[Chewing: a matter of selection and breakage]
F Bosman1, A van der Bilt, H W van der Glas
1Uit de vakgroep Mondziekten/Kaakchirurgie en Bizondere Tandheelkunde, faculteit der Geneeskunde van de rijksuniversiteit te Utrecht.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Tandheelkunde
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Chewing performance, measured by food particle size, differs between natural teeth and dentures. Denture wearers have a reduced ability to select food particles during mastication.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Biomechanics
- Dental Science
Background:
- Masticatory performance is crucial for food breakdown and nutrient absorption.
- Objective assessment of chewing efficiency is essential for evaluating dental prosthetics and oral health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively quantify masticatory performance using particle size distribution analysis.
- To compare chewing efficiency between individuals with natural dentition and complete denture wearers.
Main Methods:
- Subjects chewed a standardized test food (Optosil cubes) for a fixed number of strokes.
- Particles were collected and sorted using a sieve stack to determine particle size distribution.
- A mathematical model was applied to derive parameters for selection and breakage processes.
Main Results:
- Masticatory performance was characterized by median particle size and distribution breadth.
- Differences in chewing performance emerged within the first 20 chewing strokes.
- Denture wearers exhibited a significantly smaller selection chance compared to individuals with natural dentition.
Conclusions:
- Particle size distribution analysis provides an objective measure of masticatory performance.
- Complete dentures significantly impact chewing efficiency, particularly affecting the selection process.
- Findings highlight the functional limitations of complete dentures in mastication.