Age-Related Diagnostic Accuracy and Patient Acceptance of Two Chewing Efficiency Tests: An Exploratory Field Study

Objectives: This study investigated the impact of age on the diagnostic accuracy and patient acceptance of two chewing efficiency tests: the digital Mini Dental Assessment (MDA) using carrots and the CHEW test by Slavicek using fruit gum, applied in both clinical and nursing home settings. Methods: Seventy participants aged 18 to 99 years from dental clinics and nursing homes were included. All participants received a standardized dental examination (reference standard) and performed the MDA and CHEW tests. Sensitivity, specificity, and AUC values were calculated using ROC analysis. Participants rated both tests in terms of taste, consistency, comprehensibility, required time, and subjective chewing sensation. Acceptance was analyzed across age groups and prosthesis types. Results: Both chewing efficiency tests showed good agreement with the clinical reference standard. The AUC was 0.72 for the MDA and 0.78 for the CHEW test (p = 0.192). Sensitivity was higher for the CHEW test (100%) compared to the MDA (83.3%), while the MDA demonstrated slightly higher specificity (59.6% vs. 55.8%). Age significantly influenced both diagnostic outcomes and test acceptance (p < 0.05). Younger participants (