Quantitative Evaluation of Masticatory Performance with Two-Color Mixing Ability Test: Development of a New Digital Method.

Purpose: To develop a new digital method for color-mixing analysis and to evaluate the validity of this method for quantifying masticatory performance.

Materials And Methods: Specimens of red-green (RG) chewing gum were prepared as a bicolor test food. A total of 300 specimens were masticated by 20 healthy volunteers for different numbers of mastication cycles (from 1 to 25).

Assessment of masticatory performance by geometric measurement of the mixing ability with 2-color chewing gum.

Statement Of Problem: The 2-color mixing ability test has been recently introduced for objective assessment of masticatory performance. However, the ideal bicolor specimens have not yet been identified, and the color analysis of digital images requires improvement.

Purpose: The purpose of this clinical study was to formulate a custom-made, 2-color chewing gum for the mixing ability test and to develop an image-processing method for color mixing analysis.