Abstract
Background and aims. The first few days following the insertion of complete dentures are critical for the patients since
they are struggling to adapt to their new dentures. This study aimed to evaluate the most common locations of traumatic
ulcerations, their frequency and also the duration and number of adjustment visits required to achieve patient comfort following
placement of complete dentures.
Materials and methods. Sixty patients were selected from edentulous patients referring to a removable prosthodontics
department. Complete dentures were fabricated for the patients. After placement of dentures, all the patients were evaluated
from the day after placement until patient comfort was achieved. Descriptive analysis was performed and chi-squared test
was used to evaluate the associations between lesions, post-insertion visits and gender.
Results. A total of 85.8% of patients required denture adjustment because of mucosal injuries during their first visit following
denture placement. Maxillary and mandibular dentures did not require further adjustments after fourth and sixth visits,
respectively. No significant differences were detected between males and females in the number of mucosal injuries in
the anatomical areas evaluated in the maxilla and mandible using Fisher's exact test (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the number of
mandibular dentures requiring adjustments was significantly higher than maxillary dentures in all the post-insertion appointments
(P < 0.001).
Conclusion. Since most mucosal injuries are located in the vestibule, adequate extension of denture flanges, especially
during border molding, and use of pressure indicators that reveal over-extended borders, play an important role in decreasing
mucosal injuries and improving patient comfort following complete denture placement.