Denture Stomatitis — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateProsthodonticsDenture StomatitisORE Part 1

A patient wearing a complete upper denture complains of a burning sensation under the denture. Examination reveals diffuse erythema of the palatal mucosa beneath the denture. There are no white plaques. What is the Newton classification of this denture stomatitis?

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Correct answer: E — Type II

The key discriminator is the distribution pattern of inflammation. Newton Type II denture stomatitis is characterised by diffuse (generalised) erythema of the denture-bearing mucosa, which precisely matches this presentation. Type I presents as focal/pinpoint inflammation, typically from mechanical trauma. Type III presents as granular or papillary hyperplasia with inflammation. The absence of white plaques excludes candidal pseudomembranes but does not exclude candidal involvement in Type II erythematous denture stomatitis, which remains multifactorial. The question's stem is fully consistent with Type II classification and discriminates well at the Moderate difficulty level by requiring knowledge of the three distinct clinical morphologies in Newton's system.

Reference: Newton AV. Denture stomatitis: a review. Journal of Dentistry, 1962; NIH/NCBI PubMed database; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3298586/ (review synthesising Newton's classification with supporting evidence)