Denture wearing and strong bite force reduce pressure pain threshold of edentulous oral mucosa.

Pain in denture supporting tissue is one of the most common and critical problems affecting function and treatment outcomes in complete denture prosthetics. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of denture wearing and bite force on the pressure pain threshold (PPT) of edentulous oral mucosa. PPT was measured in denture and non-denture-wearing patients by using an electronic-controlled pressure algometer. Bite force was measured in denture-wearing patients by using a pressure-detecting sheet. The mid palate showed 200-300% higher PPT than the buccal alveolar mucosa (two-way anova, P < 0.0001). Denture-wearing patients exhibited 40% lower palatal PPT than non-denture-wearing patients. In denture-wearing patients, PPT in the selected areas of the oral mucosa was negatively correlated with bite force. Denture wearing may reduce PPT in selected areas of the edentulous oral mucosa, and the PPT reduction may be associated with mechanical stress on the mucosa generated by bite force.