A patient who has worn the same maxillary complete denture for 10 years presents with a diffusely erythematous palate. What is the appropriate next step before starting a new prosthesis?

Correct answer: B. Treat the denture stomatitis and condition the tissues before taking any impressions

• A. Denture stomatitis is inflammatory and reversible, not neoplastic. Surgery is not indicated. (Papillary hyperplasia that persists after full tissue conditioning is the exception where surgical reduction is occasionally considered.)
• B. CORRECT. A diffusely red palate under a long-worn denture is DENTURE STOMATITIS — usually Candida-associated, driven by continuous wear, an unhygienic prosthesis and an ill-fitting base. Impressions must NOT be taken over inflamed, distorted tissue, because you would record a deformed anatomy and build the new denture to a shape that will not exist once the inflammation resolves. Treatment first: leave the denture out at night, disinfect it, antifungal therapy, tissue conditioner, and reassess in 2–4 weeks.
• C. A final impression on inflamed tissue is the same error, compounded — the master cast will be wrong.
• D. A preliminary impression taken over inflamed tissue captures a distorted arch form and carries the error forward through the whole case.

Note: The prosthodontic principle is consistent: never take a definitive impression over inflamed, deformed mucosa. Tissue health first, then impressions.