Assessment of Age-Related Changes on Masticatory Function in a Population with Normal Dentition

Seonhui Kim, Re-Mee Doh, Leegang Yoo, Sol-Ah Jeong and Bock-Young Jung
Additional contact information
Seonhui Kim: Department of Dentistry, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Re-Mee Doh: Department of Advanced General Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea
Leegang Yoo: Department of Advanced General Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Sol-Ah Jeong: Department of Advanced General Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
Bock-Young Jung: Department of Advanced General Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the influence of changes in age-related physiological muscular and dental factors on masticatory function. This study was conducted in 211 healthy participants divided into four different age groups: 20–45 years (Gr1); 45–60 years (Gr2); 61–70 years (Gr3); and ?71 years (Gr4). For objective evaluation of masticatory function, the masticatory performance, bite force, posterior bite area (PBA), functional tooth units (FTUs), the number of remaining teeth, tongue pressure, masseter muscle thickness (MMT), and handgrip strength were examined. Food intake ability (FIA) and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 score were assessed subjectively using questionnaires. A significant decrease in the number of remaining teeth, FTUs, handgrip strength, and FIA was found in Gr4, and a significant decrease in the tongue pressure, PBA, and bite force was found in those aged ?61 years. In groups 1 and 3, an association of the PBA with masticatory performance was observed. However, there was no significant decreasing trend in the MMT with respect to masticatory performance with aging. With sufficient FTUs and posterior tooth support, although age-dependent decreases in the bite force, tongue pressure and handgrip strength were observed, masticatory performance was maintained. Establishing the PBA by improving occlusion through dental treatment is thought to be important for masticatory function.

Keywords: masticatory performance; masticatory function; age-related changes; food intake ability; posterior bite area (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/13/6899/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/13/6899/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:13:p:6899-:d:583337

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().