Relationship between palatal coverage and accuracy of texture perception: A preliminary study using an experimental...

Using an experimental palatal plate, this study aimed to clarify the effect of palatal coverage on the accuracy of texture perception, including thickness discrimination (T_dis), roughness discrimination (R_dis), and roughness detection (R_det), in healthy young individuals.

Thirty-four healthy participants (mean age, 26.3 ± 3.5 years) were enrolled. An experimental palatal plate made from thermoplastic denture resin was used to evaluate texture perception. Thresholds for T_dis, R_dis, and R_det were determined under two conditions: with and without the plate (w/ P and w/o P), using a staircase method. These thresholds were converted into scores for T_dis, R_dis, and R_det.

The palatal plate significantly reduced T_dis and R_dis scores, but had no effect on R_det. T_dis scores w/o P were higher than those w/ P (median [Q1-Q3], 4 [2-5] vs. 2 [1-4]; p = 0.0051), indicating reduced T_dis accuracy with the plate. Similarly, R_dis scores w/o P were higher than those w/ P (3 [2-4] vs. 2 [1-3]; p = 0.0029), suggesting reduced roughness discrimination accuracy with the plate. The effects were more pronounced in participants with higher scores in the w/o P condition. No significant differences were observed in R_det scores.

Wearing the experimental palatal plate significantly reduced T_dis and R_dis accuracies, particularly in participants with a higher baseline accuracy. These findings suggest that individual texture perception may affect the eating experience of denture wearers, and that texture perception testing could guide prosthodontic treatment strategies.