Examining the Relationship between Masticatory Indices Improvement and Prosthetic Treatment Difficulty

Abstract

This study examined changes in masticatory function indices, maximum occlusal force, masticatory performance, and masticatory score before and after removable prosthesis treatment, taking into account the prosthetic difficulty level, which assesses factors such as the shape of the residual ridge and properties of the mucous membrane.Participants (n=40, mean age 75.0±6.8 years) seeking prosthetic treatment were evaluated. Significant improvements in maximum occlusal force were observed in Classifications I and III, while masticatory performance improved significantly in Classification III. Multiple regression analysis indicated that posttreatment maximum occlusal force was significantly influenced by pretreatment maximum occlusal force (p = 0.01) , with marginal significance in the number of remaining teeth (p = 0.06) (adjusted R 2 = 0.38) .Factors significantly associated with posttreatment masticatory performance included pretreatment masticatory performance (p = 0.03) (adjusted R 2 = 0.27) . Additionally, the posttreatment masticatory score was significantly associated with the pretreatment masticatory score (p < 0.00) (adjusted R 2 = 0.55) . The findings suggest challenges in improving masticatory indices, particularly at Level IV, the most difficult index.Posttreatment maximum occlusal force, masticatory performance, and masticatory score significantly correlate with the pretreatment status of each index. These results propose the utility of prosthetic difficulty level and masticatory indices (masticatory performance, maximum occlusal force, and masticatory score) as predictive indicators for patients seeking denture treatment.