Bite force is an important indicator of masticatory performance. However, existing methods for measuring bite force are either ineffective or expensive. Hence, we developed a novel capacitive-type pressure-mapping sensor that converts mechanical forces into changes in capacitance and calculates bite force. A portable device was fabricated based on this sensor sheet, and the accuracy of the bite-force measurements provided by the device was evaluated. The sensor has a thickness of 1.6 mm and has 63 measurement points. It was inserted into a dental model, where the output value was measured and compared with that of a universal testing machine (AG-IS 100 kN). A regression equation to estimate the bite force was obtained based on the relationship between the output of the capacitive-type pressure-mapping sensor and that of the load cell of the universal testing machine. The estimated bite force from the sensor and the quadratic regression equation closely resembled the known load applied by the compression tester (R2 = 0.992). We therefore conclude that the developed sensor can measure bite force accurately and effectively. A device with a built-in capacitive-type pressure-mapping sensor can potentially be a user-friendly tool for bite-force measurements in both clinical and epidemiological settings.
Keywords: bite force; oral health; pressure-mapping sensor.