FACTORS AFFECTING MASTICATORY PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY AMOUNT YOUNG ADULTS

¹ Laboratory for Oral Physiology, Tufts College Dental School, Boston, Mass.

The masticatory performance of 103 persons was determined on right and left halves of their dentitions with both peanuts and carrots as test foods. Masticatory efficiency was obtained for 54 half-dentitions. These function measurements were compared with food platform area, tooth units in occlusion, and mesio-distal length of molar imprints for the same half dentitions.

Masticatory performance was correlated with all three variables but in a nonlinear manner. Masticatory efficiency was well correlated with food platform area, in a linear manner, less well related to molar imprint length and poorly related to tooth units. A prediction equation was worked out for performance and efficiency from area and molar imprint length. This predicted efficiency agreed with the actual efficiency with a correlation coefficient of 0.90.

Apparently the food platform area and the size of molars are the most important determinants for chewing ability among adults with a normal or defective natural dentition.