Diet and Mastication in Adults with Multiple Cavities

The prevalence of multiple cavities in adults is not well understood. Untreated adults with multiple cavities are at high risk for masticatory difficulties. We conducted a pilot study on 16 subjects with multiple cavities, aged 18 to 65, to assess their masticatory ability and eating behavior. All patients were treated under general anesthesia and were required to be fluent in French, with at least one stage 3 or 4 caries per dental arch. The GOHAI questionnaire was used to assess their oral quality of life. A 200-µm-thick articulating paper recorded the number of posterior functional units (PFUs). A particle size analysis of sampled raw carrot masticates provided a D50 value in µm for each patient, corresponding to the median particle width. The Qualices 22 software was used to assess their eating behavior before and after treatment. Thus, the GOHAI, PFUs, and D50 were assessed preoperatively and 1 month postoperatively. All subjects showed a threshold abnormally higher than the normal D50, and only 43.7% improved their D50 1 month postoperatively.

Pagina's: 52, Paperback, Our Knowledge Publishing