Masticatory efficiency of complete denture patients: A clinical examination of potential changes at the transition from old to new dentures

Abstract

The masticatory efficiency was studied among 19 complete denture wearers with their old and new dentures. The test chewing material was gelatin hardened by formalin. A standardized preparation of the test chewing material and the sieve-system is described. The patients were tested on seven different occasions from the period with the old dentures until about 1.5 years after the insertion of the new dentures. The test pieces were chewed for ten seconds - a practice test - 20 seconds and until ready to be swallowed. The chewed material was strained in a sieve-system and masticatory efficiency indices were calculated. The results revealed no statistical significant differences in masticatory efficiency between any of the seven testing occasions with the method used. Thus no significant difference was noticed when patients changed from old to new dentures or during the first 18 months after insertion of new dentures.

Key Words:

• Chewing efficiency
• masticatory physiology