The relationship between masticatory and swallowing behaviors and body weight.

The present study aimed to compare the main objective parameters of mastication among individuals with different body mass indexes. One hundred and sixty participants matched for gender and age were divided in the following groups according to their body mass index (BMI): Obese group (30 ≤ BMI < 35), Overweight group (25 ≤ BMI < 30), normal range group (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25) and underweight group (17 ≤ BMI < 18.5). Each group was composed by forty subjects. The maximum bite force, the masticatory performance, chewing rate and three variables related to swallowing (number of chewing cycles, chewing time, and median particle size) were assessed in all groups. The oral conditions, including the number of teeth, number of occlusal units and salivary flow (unstimulated and stimulated) were also evaluated. Regardless of the BMI, males had a larger bite force and better masticatory and swallowing performances than females. They also chewed faster than females. Individuals of the obese group had the largest median particles sizes (both after 20 chewing cycles and at the moment of swallowing), which indicates a less good masticatory performance. The median particle sizes were negatively correlated with the number of teeth and number of occlusal units in the obese group. We did not observe large differences in masticatory performance and swallowing variables among the four weight groups, although there was a tendency that individuals of the obese group swallowed larger particles. The results of this study do not support the existence of an "obese chewing style".

Desajuste vertical entre implante de hexágono interno e pilares Ucla totalmente calcináveis e com base de CoCr após a fundição pelo processo convencional / Vertical misfit between internal hexagon implants and Ucla burnout and CoCr prefabricated base abutments after conventional casting procedures

Objetivo: avaliar, por meio de um microdurômetro, o grau de desajuste na adaptação de pilares Ucla em implantes. Material e métodos: foram utilizados dez implantes de hexágono interno de plataforma regular, e seus respectivos componentes protéticos do tipo Ucla com antirrotacional, como seguem: dez pilares Ucla totalmente calcináveis e dez pilares Ucla com base de CoCr. Todos os pilares Ucla foram fundidos pelo mesmo laboratório de prótese e pelo mesmo processo laboratorial. Cada implante recebeu apenas dois pilares, que foram anexados por meio de um parafuso de titânio quadrado utilizando-se torque de 30 Ncm com torquímetro manual. Cada conjunto implante/pilar recebeu quatro marcações aleatórias em torno da circunferência, na qual foram feitas as medições do espaço existente entre as peças utilizando uma lupa estereoscópica de 100 vezes de aumento. Resultados: os resultados obtidos mostraram diferenças significativas entre os grupos submetidos ao teste Mann-Whitney (p < 0,05). Conclusão: o pilar Ucla com base de CoCr apresentou menor desajuste marginal vertical, quando comparado ao pilar Ucla totalmente calcinável, após o processo de fundição nos implantes de hexágono interno.

Objective: to evaluate, using a microhardness device, the misfit between Ucla abutments and internal hex implants. Material and methods: 10 internal hex implants received 10 Ucla burnout and 10 Ucla abutments with CoCr collar. All the abutments were cast in the same laboratory and under the same protocol. A square-head titanium screw was tightened to a 30 Ncm using a manual wrench. Each abutment/implant set receive four random markings around its perimeter. A stereoscopic lens was used to investigate the misfi t at 100 magnification. Results: there was a statistically significant difference between tested abutments (Mann-Whitney p < 0.05). Conclusion: the Ucla abutment with the CoCr collar presented less vertica misfit values after casting for internal hex dental implants.