AI Article Synopsis
- The study examines the link between unilateral mastication (UM) and hearing loss in Korean adults, suggesting that impaired chewing could affect hearing ability.
- Data from 1,773 adults aged 40-89 was analyzed, where hearing loss was defined as an average pure-tone threshold over 25 dB at specific frequencies, while UM was assessed using functional tooth units (FTUs) scores.
- Results indicated that individuals with high UM were 3.12 times more likely to experience hearing loss compared to those with low UM, even after accounting for factors like noise exposure.
Article Abstract
Background: Some previous studies reported hearing ability can be reduced by impaired masticatory ability, but there has been little evidence reported of an association between hearing loss and unilateral mastication. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between unilateral mastication (UM), estimated from individual functional tooth units (FTUs), and hearing loss in a representative sample of Korean adults.
Methods: The analyzed data were obtained from 1,773 adults aged 40-89 years who participated in Korean national survey. Hearing loss was defined as a pure-tone average of >25 dB at frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in either ear. In each subject, UM was calculated as the difference in the sums of the FTU scores, which is an index of posterior tooth occlusion, on the two sides of the oral cavity. The scores were used to classify the UM into low, moderate, and high. The adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in multivariable logistic regression analyses.
Results: When controlling for sociodemographic factors, the aOR for hearing loss was 3.12 (95% CI, 1.21-8.03) for high UM relative to low UM. This association remained in a fully-adjusted model containing factors related to noise exposure (aOR 2.88; 95% CI, 1.12-7.46).
Conclusion: Adults with high UM as measured using FTUs showed a higher occurrence of hearing loss than those with low UM.
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|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6614080 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.2188/jea.JE20180052 | DOI Listing |
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