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Abstract
The objective of this study was to confirm the validity of a Self-Implementable method
to evaluate masticatory performance using a newly developed color scale and color-changeable
chewing gum.
We developed a dedicated color scale that enables anyone to easily check the color
of the chewing gum instead of using specialist equipment. To examine the reliability
of evaluating the masticatory performance by the subjects themselves, three groups
of six subjects were recruited: a group of dentists, a group of adults and a group
of elderly adults were asked to check the colors of the chewed samples using the color
scale. The correlation between the use of the color scale and the use of a colorimeter
to determine the color of the chewing gum was studied to confirm the validity of the
color scale. To assess the reliability, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs)
were determined.
A strong correlation was found between the a* value measured by the colorimeter and
the mean scores from the color scale. The ICCs for intra-examiner and inter-examiner
consistency were more than 0.88 for all three groups.
This research confirmed the validity and reliability of colorimetric analysis of color-changeable
chewing gum using a color scale as a Self-Implementable method of evaluating masticatory
performance.