Correlation Between the Occlusion Contact, Masticatory Force, and Chewing Time for Different Textures in the Senior Adult Community

Abstract

Abstract Background: Mastication is an important one of oral functions. It is involved with teeth occlusion contact areas and masticatory muscle strength. For older adults, when the chewing ability deliminsh, it is restricting food selection, and many increase the risk of malnutrition. We investigated the chewing function in community-dwelling older adults with different occlusion status using the standardized food products. Methods: In this study, convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from a senior citizen-activity center in Kaohsiung city. A total of 65 older adults were included and assigned to 3 groups (A, B, and C) using Eichner Index, based on the posterior occlusion support areas (POSAs). The participants’ bite force and dentition were recorded. All of them were also tested the chewing time for 2 different textures of chicken breast (10 g each) under blind test. Results: Most participants were women (83.1%) and approximately 34.37 % of the participants were aged ≧75 years. Older adults with 4 antagonistic occlusal contacts in POSAs (Group A) had the best total bite force 485.04±365.40 N than those in the other 2 groups (p <0.0001) and the total bite force decreased significantly with occlusal contact areas in POSAs (p for trend = 0.0012). After adjusting for confounding factors, participants with no occlusal contacts in POSAs (group C) had a decreased bite force of 316.75±109.46 N than those in Group A. Overall, older adults spent less time chewing food with the minced and moist texture than regular texture (p =0.0013) and Group Aparticipants spend significantly less time in the occlusal contact subgrouping. However, chewing time was not significantly different among the 3 groups. Conclusion: Participants in group C had the worst bite force than those in the other 2 groups, even under denture wearing. Moreover, significantly less chewing time was spent on the minced and moist-textured chicken than the regular-textured chicken.