MASTICATION WITH AND WITHOUT REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURES - AN INTRAINDIVIDUAL STUDY

The chewing of 22 subjects, with a total of 27 removable partial dentu res (RPD) that had been used for more than 6 months, was analyzed by f our different methods. The study design was an intraindividual compari son of chewing, with and without the RPDs. Chewing tests were a color mixture of two-colored gums, chewing gum bolus shaping, comminution of Optosil(R) silicone tablets, and number of chewing strokes to first s wallow of an almond. The participants were also asked some standardize d questions about their eating, biting, and chewing capacity. There wa s no significant difference in efficiency as measured by chewing gum c olor mixing, chewing gum shape, and pulverization of Optosil between c hewing with and without the RPDs. Significantly more strokes were need ed to swallow an almond without than with the RPD in place. With their RPDs in place, all subjects could chew a sandwich and an apple, and a ll but one could chew whole meat. The study shows that the chewing pro cess should preferably not be analyzed by one method only.