Abstract
We investigated factors influencing chewing ability in 136 children, including fifth-year municipal primary school students and first- to third-year middle school students. Two chewing instruction sessions were conducted with a 3-week interval, after which a questionnaire survey was conducted.Chewing ability was evaluated using color-changeable chewing gum that each participant chewed for2 minutes, during which the a* value was determined using a differential colorimeter. The results indicated a significant difference in chewing ability after the first and second instruction sessions, with a* scores for chewing ability higher after the second session (＋2.286±6.454).Using hierarchical regression analysis, first, second, third, and fourth factor scores were inputted to investigate factors that influenced variations in a* value. The results demonstrated that the first factor,termed ‘proactive actions,' the third factor, termed ‘energy,' and the rate of decayed, missing, filled(DMF) teeth were correlated with chewing ability (a* value variations). Next, a simple main effect test was conducted to investigate between-group interactions. Our results showed that as the DMF tooth rate increased, the decrease in a* value variations was greater in subjects with high first factor scores than in those with low first factor scores. The present findings suggest that proactive actions by children and factors that can cause tooth loss, including DMF rate, which comprehensively represents dental disease, number of untreated teeth, and oral hygiene, are combined factors that affect chewing ability.
