Jaw Bite Force to Predict Masseter Muscle Thickness and Swallowing Functions
Abstract
Objectives: The age-related changes in the masticatory muscles and teeth lead to large spectrum of problems from malnutrition to death in the elderly. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship among bite strength, chewing muscle thickness, and swallowing difficulty.
Materials and Methods: A total of 58 patients (47 over 65 years old and 11 young) were included in the study. After a comprehensive geriatric assessment of the older adults, the jaw bite force was assessed with pressure sensitive sensor and chewing muscles thicknesses were measured with ultrasound in both groups. The swallowing difficulty was determined by the eating assessment tool (EAT-10).
Results: The median age was 71 years (minimum-maximum: 21-85) and 48.3% of the participants were women. Bilateral jaw bite force scores and masseter muscles thicknesses were lower in the elderly than in the young patients and in the patients with tooth prosthesis than in those without prosthesis (p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively). There was a positive correlation between jaw bite force and masseter muscle thicknesses (p<0.05). Jaw bite force was positively correlated with handgrip strength (right r=0.428, p=0.002 and left r=0.347, p=0.007). Both right and left jaw bite forces were negatively correlated with EAT-10 scores (r=-0.342, p=0.017 and r=-0.383, p=0.005, respectively).
Conclusion: Decreasing of the jaw bite force and masseter muscle thickness with age may be the reporter of malnutrition and swallowing difficulty. Further studies are needed with larger number of patients to determine if these parameters predict jaw bite force and swallowing dysfunction in older adults.
Keywords
Jaw Bite Force, Masseter Muscle, Muscle Strength, Older Adults
Ethical Statement
Ethics Committee Approval: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, 01/2016-110
Informed Consent: Informed consent was obtained from all patients. Peer-reviewed: Externally peer-reviewed.
Authorship ContributionsSurgical and Medical Practices: G.Ş.A., G.A., B.C., İ.Y., M.D., Concept: G.Ş.A., Z.Ü., Design: G.Ş.A., Z.Ü., Data Collection or Processing: G.Ş.A., G.A., B.C., Analysis or Interpretation: G.Ş.A., M.C.K., Literature Search: G.Ş.A., G.A., B.C., Writing: G.Ş.A., Z.Ü.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.
Financial Disclosure: The authors declared that this study received no financial support.
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