Newton Type III Denture Stomatitis — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateProsthodonticsNewton Type III Denture StomatitisORE Part 1

A patient presents with a red, granular, papillomatous appearance of the palatal mucosa beneath a maxillary complete denture. The tissue is nodular and inflamed. What Newton classification describes this presentation?

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Correct answer: E — Type III (papillary hyperplasia)

This presentation is Newton Type III denture stomatitis (inflammatory papillary hyperplasia). The clinical hallmark—red, nodular, granular, papillomatous mucosa—defines Type III. Newton Type I presents as localised petechiae or focal erythema, usually trauma-related and typically at denture margins. Type II shows diffuse erythema across the denture-bearing mucosa but lacks the papillary nodular component. Type III is the advanced stage characterised by generalised granular appearance with nodular/papillary proliferation, typically associated with chronic Candida colonisation and poor denture hygiene. Type IV does not exist in the classical Newton classification (which defines three types). The granular nodular morphology is pathognomonic for Type III.

Reference: Denture Stomatitis Revisited: A Summary of Systematic Reviews. NCBI PMC8528609 (2021): 'In Newton's types II and III denture stomatitis, the denture-bearing mucosa is diffusely involved, and it is granular in type III. Inflammatory papillary hyperplasia, granular denture stomatitis, and Newton's type III are all common terminologies for the advanced stage of the condition.' https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8528609/