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Updated: Nov 23, 2025
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Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
Published on: August 17, 2018
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Relationship between taste perception and use of upper complete dentures
Ruann Oswaldo Carvalho da Silva1, William Fernandes Lacerda1, Indiara Welter Henn2
1Department of Stomatology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
Summary
Upper complete dentures significantly impair taste perception, particularly for bitter and salty flavors, compared to not wearing them. This study highlights how prosthetics affect gustatory function.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Sensory Science
- Oral Health
Background:
- Complete dentures are common prosthetic devices for tooth replacement.
- Altered sensory perception can impact patient satisfaction and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of upper complete dentures on taste perception.
- To compare gustatory function with and without denture use.
Main Methods:
- 170 patients (45-83 years) with upper complete dentures participated.
- Taste perception for four basic tastes (bitter, salty, sweet, sour) was evaluated using the paper strip technique.
- Statistical analysis included Shapiro-Wilk, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, and paired t-tests.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant difference (p < 0.01) in taste perception was observed between wearing and not wearing dentures.
- Patients experienced the greatest difficulty identifying bitter tastes, followed by salty, sweet, and sour tastes when wearing dentures.
Conclusions:
- Upper complete dentures significantly alter taste perception.
- The presence of the denture negatively impacts the ability to discern tastes, especially bitter ones.
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