Relationship between bite force and salivary flow in older adults.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between bite force and stimulated salivary flow rate in older adults.


METHODS
The study sample consisted of 934 independent-living, cognitively healthy Japanese older adults 60 to 84 years of age. The maximal bite force was measured with pressure-sensitive sheets, and stimulated whole saliva was collected using the mastication method.


RESULTS
The mean stimulated salivary flow rate was 1.36 +/- 0.97 mL/min. In bivariate analysis, the stimulated salivary flow rate was significantly lower in females and subjects with daily multiple medications (P < .01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the stimulated salivary flow rate was significantly associated with sex (standardized partial regression coefficient: partial beta = .22; P < .001), bite force (partial beta = .18; P < .001), and multiple daily medications (partial beta = -.12; P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that reduced bite force is associated with a decline in stimulated whole salivary flow rate independent of sex and medication in older adults.
Ikebe
Kazunori
K
Division of Oromaxillofacial Regeneration, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita, Osaka, Japan. ikebe@dent.osaka-u.ac.jp
Matsuda
Ken-ich
KI
Morii
Kentaro
K
Hazeyama
Tomohiro
T
Kagawa
Ryosuke
R
Ogawa
Taiji
T
Nokubi
Takashi
T
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001732:Bite Force; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012636:Secretory Rate; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical