A new occlusal surface design for artificial posterior teeth to achieve high masticatory performance

Purpose The low masticatory efficiency of denture prostheses impairs the ability of wearers to consume high-fiber foods. Hence, artificial teeth with high masticatory efficiency are required. This study aimed to establish an occlusal surface design for posterior artificial teeth in denture prostheses that is compatible with the existing artificial teeth arrangement and that has high masticatory efficiency for the comminution of raw vegetables. Methods A masticatory simulator for occluding complete dentures was used to evaluate the masticatory efficiency of four occlusal surface designs, i.e., with parallel grooves occluding at right angles to the opposing teeth, groove depths of 1 and 0.5 mm, and inter-groove distances of 1, 2, and 3 mm. Raw carrots, rice, raw lettuce, chicken breasts, and peanuts were used as test foods to evaluate food comminution. Results Grooved occlusal surface designs with a 1-mm groove depth and a 2- or 3-mm inter-groove distance demonstrated significantly greater masticatory efficiency than the conventional occlusal form (p < 0.05). Conclusions The superiority of grooved designs over the conventional design was particularly evident for lettuce and raw carrots in this study, both of which are considered difficult foods to chew with complete dentures.