Denture Relief Over Torus — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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EasyProsthodonticsDenture Relief Over TorusORE Part 1

A patient with a maxillary complete denture presents with a prominent midline palatal suture (torus palatinus) that has been causing a pressure sore under the denture. What modification to the denture is required?

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Correct answer: E — Relief of the fitting surface over the torus palatinus

Relief of the fitting surface is the first-line denture modification for a torus palatinus causing pressure symptoms. The torus has thin, poorly vascularized mucosa that is intolerant of normal denture pressures; accommodation by creating clearance and potentially adding soft acrylic relining allows the prosthesis to seat over the prominence without surgical intervention. Surgical removal is reserved for cases where denture accommodation fails or where the torus impedes other physiological functions (eating, swallowing), not routinely for denture-related pressure alone. Soft lining may be part of the solution but is secondary to achieving adequate surface relief. Trimming intraorally is unsafe.

Reference: Royal College of Surgeons Faculty Dental Journal. Surgical removal of torus palatinus in a patient with a history of bisphosphonates. 2022. https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/10.1308/rcsfdj.2022.14; supported by PubMed 16646508 (triple lamination technique for torus accommodation).