Beschreibung
The aim of the present study was to investigate the applicability of different masticatory function tests as a clinical assessment tool for persons in need of care of different ages and with different types of dentures in order to obtain a primary evaluation of oral health.
Prior to the start of the main clinical assessments, a relevance test was first performed on 40 nursing and retirement home residents as part of preliminary investigations and they were asked to provide their own evaluation of their oral health.
The entire study included a total of 70 volunteers aged between 18 and 99 years from various nursing homes as well as clinical institutions. In addition to performing the chewing function test with carrots (MDA-App) and fruit gums, which served as a primary assessment of a dental treatment need, the test persons were examined by a dentist and finally asked for a personal evaluation of the chewing function tests. The dental findings served as the reference method.
The results of the chewing function tests corresponded well with the clinical findings in both cases (AUC value of the MDA: 0,72; AUC value of the fruit gum test: 0,78). Both chewing function tests achieved high sensitivity results, with the fruit gum test at 100 % being slightly better than the MDA at 83,3 %. In contrast, in the specificity analysis, the MDA with 59,6 % showed slightly better results than the fruit gum test with 55,8 %. The MDA as well as the fruit gum test showed a statistically significant lower average age of test persons correctly identified as healthy compared to those incorrectly and correctly identified as needing treatment (p < 0,05). Thus it became clear that all younger participants under the age of around 70 actually had no need for treatment. It was shown that the significance of both masticatory function tests was statistically significantly dependent on the dentures (p < 0,05). The test persons whose evaluation of a need for dental treatment on the basis of the chewing ability test did not correspond to the dental reference findings were mainly those wearing complete denture. In its entirety, the majority of participants favoured the MDA-App, but it was noticeable that the older test persons aged 66 and over – irrespective of their chewing ability – preferred the fruit gum test primarily for reasons of taste, while the younger test persons aged under around 62 all favoured the chewing function test with a carrot piece as part of the MDA.
The present study was able to demonstrate both the potential of the MDA-App and the potential of the chewing function test with fruit gums as clinical assessment components for an initial evaluation of the need for dental treatment of people in need of care independent of their age. With regard to the future and in order to relieve the people in need of care as well as the nursing staff and the caring relatives at home further studies are required with the involvement of all participants.
The focus on persons in need of care with acute dental treatment needs will mean an enormous relief for the treatment planning process and lead to a general improvement in oral health at the same time.
