title: Reproducibility, Reliability, and Validity of Fuchsin-Based Beads for the Evaluation of Masticatory Performance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rehabilitation of masticatory function is inherent to prosthodontics; however, despite the various techniques for evaluating oral comminution, the methodological suitability of these has not been completely studied. The aim of this study was to determine the reproducibility, reliability, and validity of a test food based on fuchsin beads for masticatory function assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Masticatory performance was evaluated in 20 dentate subjects (mean age, 23.3 years) using two kinds of test foods and methods: fuchsin beads and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, and silicone cubes and multiple sieving as gold standard. Three examiners conducted five masticatory performance trials with each test food. Reproducibility of the results from both test foods was separately assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Reliability and validity of fuchsin bead data were measured by comparing the average mean of absolute differences and the measurement means, respectively, regarding silicone cube data using the paired Student's t-test (α = 0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intraexaminer and interexaminer ICC for the fuchsin bead values were 0.65 and 0.76 (p < 0.001), respectively; those for the silicone cubes values were 0.93 and 0.91 (p < 0.001), respectively. Reliability revealed intraexaminer (p < 0.001) and interexaminer (p < 0.05) differences between the average means of absolute differences of each test foods. Validity also showed differences between the measurement means of each test food (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intra- and interexaminer reproducibility of the test food based on fuchsin beads for evaluation of masticatory performance were good and excellent, respectively; however, the reliability and validity were low, because fuchsin beads do not measure the grinding capacity of masticatory function as silicone cubes do; instead, this test food describes the crushing potential of teeth. Thus, the two kinds of test foods evaluate different properties of masticatory capacity, confirming fushsin beads as a useful tool for this purpose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Ayala
authors.affiliation: Health School, Potiguar University - Laureate International Universities, Natal, Brazil.
authors.forename: Arcelino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farias-Neto
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Larissa Soares Reis
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Vilanova
authors.affiliation: Health School, Potiguar University - Laureate International Universities, Natal, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina Abrantes
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Clara Soares
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adriana da Fonte Porto
authors.initials: Ada F
authors.lastname: Carreiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Stomatology and Physiology, Ribeirão Preto Dental School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mestriner-Junior
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D012828:Silicones; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D012828:Silicones
keywords: Reproducibility; masticatory performance; reliability; validity