Masticatory efficiency, the subjective experience of masticatory performance, and dietary intake were measured for 43 subjects who were provided with new complete dentures. The subjects were tested on three occasions: with the old complete dentures, with the new complete dentures when free from symptoms, and with the new dentures about 4 months after insertion. Masticatory efficiency and the subjective experience of masticatory performance increased significantly when the subjects were provided with new dentures, but no changes were found in the dietary intake. With the new dentures the masticatory efficiency and the subjective experience of masticatory performance were correlated to each other.

Masticatory efficiency, the subjective experience of masticatory performance, and dietary intake were evaluated in 19 subjects who were treated with a removable partial denture in the lower jaw. The subjects were tested on three occasions: before treatment, with the dentures when free from symptoms, and about 4 months after the dentures were inserted. Masticatory efficiency and the subjective experience of masticatory performance increased significantly after the subjects were provided with the dentures, but no changes were found in the dietary intake.

One of the purposes of mastication is to break down the food and enlarge the area of food particles. A method is described by which the masticatory efficiency is estimated by calculating the area of a chewed test material, gelatin-hardened by formalin. When test pieces, after being chewed, are placed in a water-soluble dye, the dye will diffuse into the particles, and consequently the dye concentration in the surrounding solution will decrease. The concentration of the dye solution is read from a photometer. A close correlation was found between the gelatin particle area and the reduction of the dye solution concentration. The method will be applied in clinical studies.

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