Influence of Palatal Morphology on Strain in Maxillary Complete Dentures: A Preliminary Report

The purpose of this preliminary investigation was to assess the influence of palatal morphology on deformation of maxillary complete dentures in vivo. The palatal morphology of the maxillae of eight edentulous subjects was measured. Experimental dentures were fabricated, and a strain gauge was attached at the first molar position at the midline of the polished surface of each denture. Subjects were instructed to bite a metal bar placed bilaterally at the denture's first molar region with a force of 49 N. The resultant strains were recorded, and the correlation between strain and palatal morphology was evaluated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. A strong correlation between strain and both palatal depth and radius of curvature was noted, suggesting that edentulous patients with wide, shallow palates have a higher risk of denture deformation, which may lead to material fracture.