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PURPOSE: To clarify the relationship between masticatory performance and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) before and after complete denture treatment. METHODS: Thirty patients wearing complete dentures were asked to chew a gummy jelly on their habitual chewing side, and the amount of glucose extraction during chewing was measured as the parameter of masticatory performance. Subjects were asked to answer the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-J49) questionnaire, which consists of 49 questions related to oral problems. The total score of 49 question items along with individual domain scores within the seven domains (functional limitation, pain, psychological discomfort, physical disability, psychological disability, social disability and handicap) were calculated and used as the parameters of OHRQoL. These records were obtained before treatment and 3 months after treatment. Each parameter of masticatory performance and OHRQoL was compared before treatment and after treatment. The relationship between masticatory performance and OHRQoL was investigated, and a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Both masticatory performance and OHRQoL were significantly improved after treatment. Furthermore, masticatory performance was significantly correlated with some parameters of OHRQoL. The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed functional limitation and pain as important factors affecting masticatory performance before treatment and functional limitation as important factors affecting masticatory performance after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that masticatory performance and OHRQoL are significantly improved after treatment and that there is a close relationship between the two. Moreover, functional limitation was found to be the most important factor affecting masticatory performance.
Yamamoto et al. (Sun,) studied this question.