Very old age impacts masticatory performance: a study among sexagenarians to centenarians

This cross-sectional pilot study evaluated the impact of age on masticatory performance among individuals aged 65 to 106 years, as part of the Heidelberg Dental Centenarian Study (HD-100Z) conducted in South-Western Germany. A total of 31 centenarians were recruited, alongside 31 individuals each from the age groups 75–99 and 65–74, matched based on sex, prosthetic status, and number of teeth. Masticatory performance was assessed using a two-colored chewing gum test and digital image processing. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the effect of age, sex, number of teeth, type of prosthesis on the masticatory performance. Masticatory performance, as measured by the standard deviation of hue in the chewing gum test, decreased significantly in centenarians compared to individuals aged 75–99 years (-0.112, p = 0.037) and those aged 65–74 years (-0.274, p < 0.001). The effects of sex, number of teeth, and type of prosthesis on masticatory performance were not significant associations (p ≥ 0.135). The findings suggest that age may have a significant influence on masticatory performance in the studied age groups, challenging previous notions that aging itself has little impact on masticatory ability. The inclusion of centenarians in the study highlights the need for further investigation into masticatory function in age groups reaching up to 100 years or more. This study contributes to the understanding of how ageing affects oral function, which may guide dental treatment approaches for older individuals, and set the stage for more in-depth investigations in this field in the future.