Association between the number of bilateral free-end posterior tooth loss and mastication performance in RSGM USU patients

Abstract

Mastication is the process of mechanically crushing food to form soft particles, facilitating theingestion process in providing nutrients to the body. One of the objectively assessed mastication functions is mastication performance. The number of tooth losses is one factor that affects mastication performance; the more tooth loss, the lower the mastication performance. Posterior teeth play an important role in mastication function, and loss of posterior teeth decreases mastication performance. The research aims to determine the association between the number of bilateral free-end posterior tooth loss and mastication performance. This type of research is descriptive-analytic with a cross-sectional design. The subjects in this research were 17 people. Data were collected by examining the oral cavity and color-changeable chewing gum to assess mastication performance using a colorimeter. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test. The results showed that all subjects with bilateral free-end posterior teeth loss in one and both arches had poor mastication performance. The statistical test results showed no association between the number of bilateral free-end posterior teeth loss and mastication performance in one and both arches with p = 1,000 (p 0.05). It can occur because this research does not pay attention to the number of occlusion pairs of posterior teeth and the results of the assessment of mastication performance are not quantitative. The number of bilateral free-end posterior tooth loss can be considered in assessing mastication performance as an educational basis for denture care. KEYWORDS: Posterior Bilateral Free End, Mastication Performance