Development of a synthetic bolus using silicone elastomer for the study of masticatory efficiency.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Masticatory efficiency has been proposed as an outcome measure for prosthetic rehabilitation. However, no standardized method is available for this type of assessment. PURPOSE: This study developed a normalized synthetic test food with reproducible physical and rheologic properties. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two silicone putties of different hardness were studied. The texture of each putty varied by the addition of silicone oil. Rheologic characteristics of 7 samples were compared with the same properties of 5 natural food substances. RESULTS: Seven varieties of synthetic bolus were produced, each of which were of a different hardness, modulus of elasticity, and tensile strength. The natural food substances demonstrated great rheologic variability. The synthetic bolus samples exhibited a texture profile approaching that of natural foods. The principal difference between the 2 groups tested was that of the homogeneity of the silicone samples. CONCLUSION: None of the samples reproduced all the rheologic properties of the natural food substances; however, the results showed that their characteristics were sufficiently similar for the silicone samples to be suggested as a reproducible alternative for the testing of masticatory efficiency.