Prosthodontics & Occlusion · patient case question
Which jaw becomes BROADER as it resorbs?
Patient case: Long-standing complete denture with ridge pain
Patient: Female, 74 years old
Chief Complaint: “The lower denture hurts on the right side, near the back corner of my lip.”
Background: The same mandibular complete denture has been worn for over fifteen years without relining.
Current Findings: Severe mandibular ridge resorption. The denture is markedly overextended relative to the resorbed ridge, and the fitting surface bears directly on a discrete area in the premolar region. Sharp, well-localised pain and some numbness of the lower lip on that side.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. The mandible
- A. CORRECT. The mandible resorbs downward and outward because the buccal cortical plate is thinner in the posterior region and the crest is lingual to the base of the body. The residual ridge therefore migrates buccally and the arch becomes wider.
- B. Both jaws change substantially in width with long-term edentulism.
- C. The two jaws resorb in opposite directions, which is precisely why the relationship changes over time.
- D. The maxilla resorbs upward and INWARD, because its buccal plate is thin and resorbs preferentially, so the maxillary arch becomes narrower and shorter.
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