Mastication with and without removable partial dentures: an intraindividual study

The chewing of 22 subjects, with a total of 27 removable partial dentures (RPD) that had been used for more than 6 months, was analyzed by four different methods. The study design was an intraindividual comparison of chewing, with and without the RPDs. Chewing tests were a color mixture of two-colored gums, chewing gum bolus shaping, comminution of Optosil silicone tablets, and number of chewing strokes to first swallow of an almond. The participants were also asked some standardized questions about their eating, biting, and chewing capacity. There was no significant difference in efficiency as measured by chewing gum color mixing, chewing gum shape, and pulverization of Optosil between chewing with and without the RPDs. Significantly more strokes were needed to swallow an almond without than with the RPD in place. With their RPDs in place, all subjects could chew a sandwich and an apple, and all but one could chew whole meat. The study shows that the chewing process should preferably not be analyzed by one method only.