Authors: Kei Takahashi, Kazuyoshi Hashimoto, Hidetaka Nakamura, Hideto Matsuda
Introduction: Facial skin temperature has been shown to increase during chewing. There have been few reports regarding changes in skin temperature as measured by thermography, a method suggested for screening and evaluation of diseases to assess masticatory ability. In the present study, we assessed whether increases in facial skin temperatures during gum chewing differed on the basis of masticatory ability.
Methods: Sixty healthy young women were enrolled in this study. Skin temperatures of the right and left sides of the face were measured by thermography in a room with a temperature of 25°C, before and after chewing; chewing was performed at a speed of 1 chew per second, for 5, 10, and 15 minutes. Facial skin temperatures were expressed as area ratio (%), averaged between sides, per 1°C (from 30°C to 36°C). Additionally, we calculated the weighted average efficiency (°C). We classified subjects into high and low groups based on the amount of sugar elution by the chewing gum method, which was used as index of masticatory ability.
Results: The area ratio at 32°C or 33°C was greater in the low group, whereas the area ratio at 33°C and 34°C was greater in the high group. In both groups, the skin temperature after 5 minutes of chewing was significantly higher than that at 0 minutes. However, the skin temperature in the low group was significantly lower than that in the high group after both 10 and 15 minutes of chewing.
Conclusion: These results revealed that individuals with low mastication ability exhibited lower skin temperature due to chewing than individuals with high mastication ability. Moreover, the measurement of facial skin temperature by thermography might be useful for assessment of masticatory ability.
View/Download pdf