Smart Gnathometer for Bite Force Measurement

Abstract

Bite force measurement on teeth is one of the crucial factors contributing to the development of advanced technology and longevity in the fabrication of prosthesis. Throughout the years, many researchers have developed devices to measure and analyse the maximum bite force. However, the innovations of the devices have some drawbacks, such as precision, measurement accuracy and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, some of the devices may affect the health of patients due to the usage of hazardous material. Therefore, a non-hazardous gnathometer has been innovated in the study to precisely measure and analyse the maximum bite force of dentures. A 3D model of the new gnathometer was designed using CATIA V5 and fabricated using a Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) machine. The gnathomether also consisted of electronic parts, such as an ESP32 and Arduino Nano as a microcontroller, and a flexible force sensor to accurately measure the bite force measurement. A calibration test was carried out on this innovation to measure the accuracy, drift presence and consistency of bite force. This study demonstrated that the force mappings were directly proportional to the voltage and has shown that the resistance gradually decreases until it reaches a minimum or steady state as the force increases. This research on the calibration of force was valid as the accuracy calculated was a minimum of 94.80% with a maximum accuracy error of 5.20%, resulting in high accuracy and reliable results. This study suggested that the gnathometer can analyse the maximum bite force of dentures and is one of the best approaches to obtain precise and accurate bite force measurements. This research can improve dentures studies in the dental industry using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology embedded in the system and real-time bite force monitoring.