Association between perioral muscle pressure and masticatory performance

The aim of this study was to determine the association between strength of the perioral muscles and masticatory performance. Subjects were 56 healthy adults (30 men and 26 women; mean age of 24·9 years) with normal occlusion. Perioral muscle pressure was measured using JMS tongue pressure measurement device, and maximum tongue pressure and cheek pressure on the habitual chewing side (H) and non-habitual side (non-H) were measured. The masticatory performance was evaluated using gummy jelly, and the amount of glucose extracted was measured after chewing under condition H or non-H. The association between sex and maximum tongue pressure was analysed using Student's t-test. Cheek pressure and the amount of the glucose extracted between condition H and non-H or between men and women were analysed by two-way repeated-measures anova. In addition, the correlations between maximum tongue pressure and cheek pressure on condition H, maximum tongue pressure and the amount of glucose extracted under condition H, and cheek pressure and the amount of glucose extracted under condition H were analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficients for men and women. The maximum tongue pressure, cheek pressure and the amount of glucose extracted were higher in men than in women. The amount of glucose extracted was higher under condition H than under condition non-H, but no significant difference in chewing side was observed in cheek pressure between men and women. Additionally, positive correlations were shown between maximum tongue pressure, habitual-side cheek pressure and the amount of glucose extracted on men and women. In conclusion, the association between higher perioral muscle pressure and better masticatory performance was shown.