1997 Volume 41 Issue 5 Pages 850-855
The masticatory efficiency in normal dentate people and complete denture wearers has been evaluated by using testing gumi-jelly. However, some complete denture wearers who cannot chew the testing gumi-jelly (20×20×10mm) within a given chewing stroke are occasionally encountered. In this study, the masticatory efficiency test using testing gumi-jelly (20×10×10mm) cut in half was examined to evaluate the masticatory function of these cases. It was indicated that there was a significant proportional correlation between the surface area of the four kinds of specimens divided into equal parts and the amount of glucose discharged from the surface of the gumi-jelly. The increasing rate of surface area after chewing the half-type was higher than the whole-type in ten complete denture wearers. In particular, the rate of increase after chewing was remarkable in patients whose masticatory efficiency was not shown by using the whole-type. It was suggested that the masticatory efficiency test using testing gumi-jelly cut in half would be an extremely useful method for patients with low masticatory function.
