Social and psychologic implications of missing teeth for chewing ability

The impact of loss of teeth on chewing ability was investigated in three groups of patients. One group already had missing teeth replaced by partial dentures, which were taken out during the tests. This group was taken as not being adapted to chew without a complete dentition. A second group had their missing teeth not replaced by partial dentures. During the test they were considered adapted to chew without a complete dentition. A third group had a complete natural dentition and they acted as control group. Tests were carried out regarding chewing ability and swallowing threshold. In addition, a clinical examination was carried out. It was found that the loss of molars significantly reduced chewing performance. Moreover the number of chewing-strokes before swallowing the food-bolus and the mean of the particle size at the point of swallowing were increased. Loss of molars resulted in less positive feelings concerning chewing. Both groups of persons with missing molars showed a similar chewing performance. The group of not adapted patients felt on average more negative about their chewing ability and they indicated more changes in daily activities because of missing teeth.