The effect of diet on the bearing mucosa during adjustment to new complete dentures: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
This pilot study investigated the reliability of the conventional prosthodontic wisdom that a modified diet ameliorates soreness during the adjustment to new complete dentures. Tissue ulceration of the bearing mucosa served as the indicator of patient soreness as a function of diet.


METHODS
Fourteen men were randomly assigned to two equal treatment groups. One group consumed a consistency-gradated diet and the other (control) ate as they wished. New complete dentures were fabricated for both groups by the same provider, technician, materials, and method; the study was double-blinded. Tissue ulceration was assessed and totaled for the 10 days after denture placement, constituting a soreness score.


RESULTS
Data analysis identified a significant difference in soreness scores between dietary groups (p < 0.05). Wearing time had a significant inverse relation to soreness (p < 0.05) in this study. A host of potential explanatory variables of clinical interest failed to relate significantly to the outcome of soreness.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicated that a consistency-gradated diet had a significant effect in diminishing tissue ulceration during the immediate postplacement period for this group of men. Potentially, these findings could contribute to enhanced quality of care and to the more efficient allocation of provider-based resources.
Cleary
T J
TJ
Dental Service, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Veterans Affairs Hospital, Montrose, N.Y., USA.
Hutter
L
L
Blunt-Emerson
M
M
Hutton
J E
JE
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003824:Denture, Complete / Q000009:adverse effects; D004032:Diet; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000209:etiology; D010519:Periodontium / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013060:Speech