Affiliation:
1. Oral Medicine Unit Sheba Medical Center Tel HaShomer Israel
2. In Partial Fulfillment of DMD Requirements Hebrew University‐Hadassah School of Dental Medicine Jerusalem Israel
3. Department of Endodontics Hadassah Medical Center Jerusalem Israel
4. Department of Oral Medicine, Sedation and Imaging, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
5. Big Biomedical Data Research Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
6. The Laboratory of Epidemiology and Clinical Studies in Oral Health, Faculty of Dental Medicine Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundDenture‐induced oral Lesions (DIOLs) often manifests shortly after the placement or adjustment of new or realigned dentures, frequently resulting in severe pain and discomfort.ObjectivesThis study aimed to classify DIOLs placing a particular emphasis on assessing the associated pain.MethodsA prospective case study was conducted involving 126 patients who were fitted with a total of 193 dentures of various types at the Hadassah School of Dental Medicine. All patients underwent comprehensive intra‐oral examinations within 1–8 weeks following denture delivery, completed symptom questionnaires and had their medical records reviewed. Key variables documented included age, gender, overall health status, denture type, and a detailed description of the DIOLs. The description encompassed factors such as lesion location, shape, colour, size, border characteristics, ulcerative appearance, membrane coverage, 3D morphology (elevated, immersed and flat) and patient‐reported Verbal Pain Score (VPS) when touching the DIOLs, when wearing the denture, and when not wearing the denture.ResultsNotably, 25.4% of denture wearers required no adjustments, while 14.4% necessitated more than three revisions. A majority (71.8%) of DIOLs cases were associated with mandibular complete dentures, primarily situated on the alveolar ridge. The mean VPS indicated a pain intensity of 7 ± 2.1, with temporary dentures in both jaws causing the most discomfort. Implant‐supported overdentures were particularly painful when placed in the mandible. Additionally, VPS scores were higher among older individuals and those with prior prosthetic experiences. A significant correlation was observed between pain intensity and presence of chronic health condition (0.036).ConclusionsThis study revealed distinct characteristics of DIOLs and highlighted the multifactorial nature of pain experienced following the development of DIOLs. Insights into the influence of patient and denture characteristics on DIOLs and pain intensity can guide healthcare professionals in optimising patient comfort and satisfaction.