Oral Function of Junior Japan National Team Candidates in U13, U16, and U19 Badminton Players

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship among mastication frequency, occlusal force, and occlusal contact area in terms of the oral function of junior female Japanese national badminton players. The participants were female badminton players nominated as junior Japan representative candidates; U13: 12 players, U16: 25 players, and U19: 26 players. A questionnaire survey was conducted among participants to obtain a chewing score based on the number of times each bite was chewed on a 5-point scale. Pressure-sensitive film was used to measure occlusal force and occlusal contact area. Differences in chewing scores, occlusal contact areas, and occlusal force among participant groups were analyzed. The correlation between chewing scores and occlusal force or occlusal contact area in U13, U16, and U19 was analyzed. No differences in chewing scores were observed among participant groups. The occlusal force and occlusal contact area increased in the order of U13, U16, and U19, and significant differences were observed between U13 and U19, and between U16 and U19, respectively (P<0.01, P<0.05). In U16 and U19, a significant positive correlation was found between chewing scores and occlusal force (P<0.01). A significant positive correlation between chewing scores and occlusal contact area was observed in U16 and U19 (P<0.05). The results of this study revealed that the oral function of female badminton players nominated as junior Japan representative candidates improved with age, and that players who chewed more frequently had larger occlusal forces or occlusal contact areas in U16 and U19.