In evaluating the outcome of a new complete denture, what is the MOST important measure of success?

Correct answer: D. The patient's satisfaction with the prosthesis

• A. ❌ Accurate mounting is a prerequisite for correct occlusion, not the outcome itself.
• B. ❌ Impression accuracy is necessary but not sufficient; a technically perfect denture the patient will not wear has failed.
• C. ❌ Retention at insertion is one component of function and often changes as tissues adapt.
• D. ✅ CORRECT — Every technical parameter is a means to an end, and the end is a prosthesis the patient will wear, function with and accept. PATIENT SATISFACTION is the definitive outcome measure, and studies repeatedly show it correlates poorly with technical quality — psychological factors and realistic expectations matter enormously.

Note: This is why pre-treatment discussion of expectations, and identifying the difficult denture patient (House classification) BEFORE starting, matters so much.