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Zeng X, Sheiham A et al. J Oral Rehabil 2008; 35: 37–44

The diet of people in Oriental countries is largely boiled and served in small pieces, but Western diet is often in large pieces and needs more biting and chewing. In this study, 1,276 Chinese subjects aged 55+ attending for routine health check were asked to have a dental examination and be interviewed, and 1,230 agreed.

A variety of dental factors contributed to difficulty in eating, including fewer natural and replaced teeth, occluding pairs of teeth, and unfilled saddle spaces. The authors comment that these difficulties need not mean that nutritional status is affected.