Comparisons of Masticatory Movements while Wearing Complete Mandibular Dentures with and without Suction in a Totally Edentulous Subject

Abstract

The same edentulous subject was allowed to wear both complete mandibular dentures with and without suction to compare the differences in masticatory movements that were measured with the Gnatho-Hexagraph II, a device for measuring mandibular movement. The following improvements were shown in all chewing patterns of right-lateral and left-lateral chewing and free chewing while wearing the complete mandibular dentures with suction compared to wearing dentures without suction. 1) Reduction in mouth opening-closing time 2) Increase in the range of mouth opening 3) Improvement in chewing rate 4) Improvement in stability of chewing rhythm The values measured were closer to those of masticatory movements in healthy dentulous persons. Thus, the masticatory movements while wearing the complete mandibular dentures with suction seemed to be physiologically and efficiently executed. Key words: c o m p l e te m a n d i b u l a r d e n t u re s w i t h s u c t i o n , m a s t i c a to r y m ove m e n t , Gnatho-Hexagraph II Private practice, Higashine-shi, Yamagata, Japan