Masseter muscle tension and chewing ability in older persons

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Oral Health
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Mastication is crucial for oral health and quality of life in the elderly.
• A simple, accessible method for evaluating chewing ability in older adults is needed.
• The effectiveness of masseter muscle palpation for assessing chewing function has been underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of masseter muscle tension palpation for assessing chewing ability in the elderly.
• To investigate the relationship between masseter muscle tension and oral health status.
• To compare palpation method with other established chewing ability assessment tools.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 547 community-dwelling elderly individuals (mean age 73.8 years).
• Chewing ability assessed via masseter muscle tension palpation, ultrasonography for muscle thickness, occlusal force measurement, self-reported ability, and tooth count.
• Data collected during a comprehensive geriatric health examination.

Main Results:

• Masseter muscle thickness and occlusal force differed significantly between sexes.
• Palpation of masseter muscle tension showed significant associations with occlusal force, muscle thickness, remaining teeth, and self-reported chewing ability in both men and women.
• These associations were consistent across various objective and subjective measures of chewing function.

Conclusions:

• Masseter muscle tension palpation is a dependable and user-friendly method for evaluating chewing ability in elderly populations.
• This technique offers a practical approach for routine assessment in diverse settings.
• The findings support the integration of masseter muscle palpation into geriatric oral health assessments.