PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to estimate which occlusion offers the best conditions of pressure distribution on the supporting structure under a complete denture when crushing food. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Simulated maxillary and mandibular complete dentures with three different posterior occlusal schemes - fully balanced occlusion, lingualized occlusion, and monoplane occlusion - were fabricated. Eight pressure transducers were placed in the basal surface of a mandibular denture. The pressure distribution on the mandibular edentulous mouth model with 1.5-mm-thick artificial tissue under a complete denture was recorded when crushing three different foods: soft food (kamaboko), peanuts, and carrot. The mean pressure values at each measurement point and the force required for each test were compared using one-way analysis of variance with P or = 0.05 representing statistical significance. RESULTS: The required force for crushing a soft food or carrot in the left molar region in monoplane occlusion was significantly larger than that required in fully balanced occlusion or lingualized occlusion. In crushing soft food, fully balanced occlusion showed significantly higher pressure values on the working side than in monoplane occlusion or lingualized occlusion. In crushing the carrot, the pressure values in fully balanced occlusion and in lingualized occlusion were significantly lower than those in monoplane occlusion. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that with fully balanced occlusion and lingualized occlusion a large occlusal force is not needed for crushing hard food, and the stress to the supporting tissues is smaller than with monoplane occlusion.