PERCEIVED MASTICATORY FUNCTION AMONG ELDERLY PEOPLE

This study investigated the status and associations of perceived chewi ng ability of a group of 891 elderly people, aged 55-91 years (average age 66 years). The majority of subjects (69%) considered that they co uld chew well. Only 9% reported poor chewing ability. This judgement w as not associated with age. More men (11%) than women (6%) had reporte d poor chewing ability. Subjects with better perceived general and cra niomandibular health reported better chewing ability. However, althoug h related to permanent tooth loss, the perception of chewing ability w as not seemingly associated with prosthetic rehabilitation. All elderl y subjects with complete dental arches had no complaints of perceived chewing difficulty. Freedom from symptoms of craniomandibular pain whe n chewing, bilateral chewing activity and a wide choice of food range or textures were associated with favourably perceived chewing ability. This study identities several suitable criteria for judging masticato ry function and suggests that these may be used to complement chewing ability as an alternative measure of masticatory performance. These cr iteria are applicable to the elderly person, in particular, and warran t adequate clinical application.