Mastication and swallowing in patients with oral submucous fibrosis

Objective: Early stages of oral submucous fibrosis may lead to masticatory and swallowing impairments. This study was, conducted to evaluate the masticatory and swallowing functions in a group of oral submucous fibrosis patients. Patients and Methods: Masticatory and swallowing performance, maximum bite force, oral stereognosis, and surface electromyographic activity of the buccinator muscle were measured in 11 patients with early oral submucous fibrosis and controls matched for age and gender. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in maximum bite force between controls and patients with oral submucous fibrosis. However, the masticatory and swallowing performance, integrated surface electromyographic activity during maximum blowing in right buccinator, and oral stereognostic score in the oral submucous fibrosis group were significantly lower than in the control group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that patients with early oral submucous fibrosis may exhibit impaired masticatory and swallowing functions along with reduced oral stereognosis and buccinator muscle activity