Does the utilization of dental services associate with masticatory performance in a Japanese urban population?: the Suita study.

Miki Kikui,Yoshinobu Maeda,Masaaki Yamamoto,Momoyo Kida,Sakae Yasui,Takahiro Ono,Yoko Yoshimuta,Yoshihiro Kokubo,Takayuki Kosaka,Yoshihiro Miyamoto,Makoto Watanabe,Takashi Nokubi

doi:10.1002/cre2.10

Abstract

There are numerous reports on the relationship between regular utilization of dental care services and oral health, but most are based on questionnaires and subjective evaluation. Few have objectively evaluated masticatory performance and its relationship to utilization of dental care services. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of regular utilization of dental services on masticatory performance. The subjects consisted of 1804 general residents of Suita City, Osaka Prefecture (760 men and 1044 women, mean age 66.5 ± 7.9 years). Regular utilization of dental services and oral hygiene habits (frequency of toothbrushing and use of interdental aids) was surveyed, and periodontal status, occlusal support, and masticatory performance were measured. Masticatory performance was evaluated by a chewing test using gummy jelly. The correlation between age, sex, regular dental utilization, oral hygiene habits, periodontal status or occlusal support, and masticatory performance was analyzed using Spearman's correlation test and t‐test. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis was carried out to investigate the relationship of regular dental utilization with masticatory performance after controlling for other factors. Masticatory performance was significantly correlated to age when using Spearman's correlation test, and to regular dental utilization, periodontal status, or occlusal support with t‐test. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that regular utilization of dental services was significantly related to masticatory performance even after adjusting for age, sex, oral hygiene habits, periodontal status, and occlusal support (standardized partial regression coefficient β = 0.055). These findings suggested that the regular utilization of dental care services is an important factor influencing masticatory performance in a Japanese urban population.

Highlights

Reducing the gap between average life span and healthy life expectancy has been identified as one of the most important challenges in Japanese health policy
Masticatory performance was significantly associated with age, regular utilization of dental care services, occlusal support, and periodontal status, but not with sex (P = 0.067), brushing habits (P = 0.536), or flossing (P = 0.059) (Tables 2 and 3)
The results of multiple regression analysis suggested that regular utilization of dental care services was significantly associated with masticatory performance after controlling periodontal status and occlusal support but oral hygiene habits were not significantly associated with masticatory performance

Summary

Introduction

Reducing the gap between average life span and healthy life expectancy has been identified as one of the most important challenges in Japanese health policy. Receiving dental preventive treatment at regular intervals is recognized to be effective in maintaining oral health (Locker, 2001), but the lower rate of regular utilization in Japan versus that in the USA and Europe has been a long-standing issue (Ikebe et al, 2002; McGrath et al, 1999). Within this context, the Healthy Japan 21 launched in 2000 to promote national health in the 21st. Dental Services and Masticatory Performance century is attempting to promote regular dental service utilization as a national policy by targeting “a regular utilization of dental services rate of 30% or more” (Japan health promotion and fitness foundation, 2000)

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Conclusion