Assessment of Taste and Smell in Elderly Patients with Complete Dentures: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate taste and smell function in older adults wearing complete dentures and to determine whether denture use influences these sensory perceptions. A cross-sectional clinical study was conducted with 19 edentulous older adults. Taste function was assessed using sweet, salty, bitter, and sour taste tests, while olfactory function was evaluated through olfactory threshold and odor identification tests. All assessments were performed with and without complete dentures. No significant differences in taste or smell function were observed between the conditions with and without complete dentures. However, regardless of denture use, participants showed lower sensitivity to sweet taste compared with the other taste modalities. In addition, a proportion of participants presented olfactory impairment, although these alterations were not associated with denture use. Within the limitations of this study, complete denture use did not adversely affect taste or smell function in older adults. The findings suggest that age-related and individual factors may play a greater role in chemosensory perception than denture use itself.