Food consumption by complete denture wearers

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Background: Proper nutrition is provided by the intake of well balanced diet which may be solid, semisolid and liquid. Certain types of food intake can be a problem for people with dental restorations. The aim of this study was to determine the chewing capability and the change of food pattern that may occur in complete denture wearers.
Material and methods: The change of food pattern that may occur after wearing complete dentures was assessed in 80 patients, 46 males and 34 females with a mean age of 60.2 and ranges from 31-72years. The chewing capability of the food intake by those patients was determined. Food have been broken down into four groups using a daily food guide and the patients were asked to rank the types of food that were easy to chew , moderate and difficult.
Results: It was found that there was no significant difference in eating pattern of dairy product group before and after using the dentures (p<0.05). The meat group however was reported by the largest number of subjects as difficult to chew. Some types of fruit and vegetables were also reported as difficult to chew; the difference was significant (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The results indicated that the majority of the subjects were satisfied with chewing with dentures (69%) while the others were either partially satisfied or not satisfied.
Key words: Diet, food pattern, chewing. (J Bagh Coll Dentistry 2006; 18(1) 30-32)