Determining the relationship between food texture and dental condition: First bite and chewing aspects

Area of Science:

• Food science
• Sensory science
• Dental science

Background:

• Texture perception is a complex sensory modality affected by food changes during eating.
• Limited research exists on the relationship between dental conditions and texture sensation capacity.
• Different tooth types (anterior vs. posterior) have distinct roles in mastication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of anterior and posterior tooth loss on hardness perception.
• To test the hypothesis that tooth loss burdens hardness perception differently for first-bite and chewed food.
• To assess hardness sensation with varying food hardness levels in relation to dental status.

Main Methods:

• Participant groups were categorized based on anterior and posterior tooth deficiencies.
• Hardness sensation was evaluated using a modal food (white cheese) with controlled hardness (varying fat content).
• Sensory assessments were conducted for both first-bite and twice-chewed conditions, alongside food physicochemical and textural analysis.

Main Results:

• First-bite hardness judgments were not significantly affected by anterior tooth loss.
• Posterior tooth loss demonstrated a significant impact on the perception of hardness after the food was twice chewed.
• Food physicochemical and textural properties were analyzed in conjunction with sensory data.

Conclusions:

• Posterior tooth integrity is crucial for accurate hardness perception of chewed food.
• Anterior tooth loss does not impair initial bite hardness perception.
• Future sensory studies involving chewing should consider participants' dental status, particularly posterior tooth condition.