Denture Click Speech OVD — ORE Part 1 MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

EasyProsthodonticsDenture Click Speech OVDORE Part 1

A 55-year-old patient attends with a complete upper denture and reports a clicking sound when speaking. The denture is stable, well fitting and retentive. Which denture-related factor is the most likely cause?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D — Excessive occlusal vertical dimension

D. Excessive occlusal vertical dimension is correct. Excessive OVD reduces interocclusal rest space (freeway space), so the denture teeth can contact prematurely during mandibular movements used in speech. Repeated tooth contact may be perceived or heard as clicking. Evidence in complete-denture wearers shows that excessive bite opening, particularly when interocclusal clearance is eliminated, impairs speech. Insufficient OVD instead produces excessive interocclusal space and an overclosed appearance; it is not the usual cause of tooth-contact clicking. Excessive buccal flange extension more commonly causes soreness, muscle interference or denture displacement. Poor hygiene cannot produce a mechanical speech noise. Inadequate base retention could permit denture movement and clicking, but is contradicted by the stated stability and retention.

Reference: Masticatory forces and maximum jaw closure forces of complete denture wearers before and after bite opening, 1989. PubMed. The abstract reports impaired speech when vertical dimension was increased to zero interocclusal clearance. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28600914/