Prosthodontics & Occlusion · single question
Where is the PRIMARY stress-bearing area in the maxilla for a complete denture?
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Correct answer: C. The horizontal portion of the hard palate lateral to the midline
- A. The mid-palatine raphe is also a relief area — thin mucosa over dense bone, and a torus site.
- B. The incisive papilla is a RELIEF area — it carries the nasopalatine neurovascular bundle and must not bear load.
- C. Correct. The horizontal hard palate lateral to the midline (together with the posterolateral slopes of the residual ridge) is the primary stress-bearing area — dense cortical bone under firmly attached keratinized mucosa that resists resorption.
- D. The tuberosity is a SECONDARY stress-bearing area.
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