The Impact of Palatal Rugae Addition to Complete Dentures on Patients' Satisfaction and Oral Health Related Quality of Life

Overview

In conventional maxillary complete dentures, the palatal surface is typically smooth and polished, lacking the natural anatomy of the palatal rugae. While this design facilitates ease of cleaning, it may compromise the functional feedback required for speech and other oral functions. Since the palatal rugae contain mechanoreceptors essential for guiding the tongue during phonation and mastication, replicating these structures may enhance oral function and patient adaptation. Given the variation in clinical outcomes reported in prior studies, a randomized crossover clinical trial is warranted to assess the impact of adding anatomically replicated palatal rugae to complete dentures.

In conventional maxillary complete dentures, the palatal surface is typically smooth and polished, lacking the natural anatomy of the palatal rugae. While this design facilitates ease of cleaning, it may compromise the functional feedback required for speech and other oral functions. Since the palatal rugae contain mechanoreceptors essential for guiding the tongue during phonation and mastication, replicating these structures may enhance oral function and patient adaptation. Given the variation in clinical outcomes reported in prior studies, a randomized crossover clinical trial is warranted to assess the impact of adding anatomically replicated palatal rugae to complete dentures. This study aims to evaluate whether incorporating palatal rugae can improve patient satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life when compared to conventional dentures with a smooth palatal surface. By assessing patient-reported outcomes in a controlled and systematic manner, this research will contribute valuable evidence toward optimizing complete denture design for better functional and psychological outcomes in edentulous patients. OBJECTIVE • To compare conventional complete maxillary dentures with a smooth, polished palatal surface to those incorporating anatomical palatal rugae, in terms of patient-reported outcomes and oral health-related quality of life.