主機能部位と補綴治療

Mastication is an essential function for processing foods into a bolus in the oral cavity. This behaviour is thought to be controlled by a central pattern generator in the brain stem and to be influenced by the morphological properties and the texture of foods. The 'main occluding area', the location where food crushing occurs during the first stroke of mastication, is reported to be an important concept; however, it is currently limited to findings in individuals with normal dentition. We assessed changes in the location, area, and bite force of the main occluding area before and after implant treatments. The main occluding area was located at a reproducible location in the partially edentulous and normally dentate subjects. This location was principally the first molar region, and for the partially edentulous patients with missing teeth in the molar regions, it moved from the premolar region to the first molar region after treatment. These results suggest that the main occluding area can be restored to the first molar region after implant treatment and may be an important factor in the assessment of prosthodontic treatment. The main occluding area is very simple to identify using a dental stopping and has the potential to become a useful addition in the assessment of prosthodontic treatment and mastication. This article describes outlines the main occluding area and our latest findings.