Investigating the Impact of Perceived Masticatory Difficulty with Previous Dentures on Subsequent Food Intake with New Dentures: A Prospective Study

抄録

This study investigated changes in chewing satisfaction from old to new dentures, exploring how perceived masticatory difficulty with the old denture influenced food intake with the new dentures. Additionally, factors influencing overall masticatory satisfaction with the new dentures were examined. Consecutive sampling involved edentulous individuals seeking replacements for both maxillary and mandibular complete dentures. A total of 103 edentulous individuals（49 males, 54 females; age range: 39-87 years; mean age: 71.6±8.6 years）participated. At the baseline visit, patients provided general satisfaction ratings for their dentures in terms of subjective mastication. A 12- item questionnaire, using a 100mm visual analog scale（VAS）, assessed their ability to chew specific foods（tofu, fish cake, bean sprouts, cubic rice crackers, rice crackers, and squid jerky）with existing maxillary and mandibular dentures. The study revealed a significant increase in VAS for overall masticatory satisfaction and the intake of six Japanese foods with diverse textures. Notably, perceived masticatory difficulty with previous dentures exerted a substantial impact on subsequent food intake with new dentures. Factors influencing perceived mastication with the new dentures included crunchy foods（cubic rice crackers and rice crackers）and elastic foods（fish cake）. These findings highlight the considerable influence of old denture-related masticatory difficulty on overall masticatory satisfaction and subsequent food intake with new dentures. The study suggests valuable insights for treatment planning and denture design, emphasizing the necessity of considering these factors when fabricating new dentures and providing guidance to patients post-insertion.