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

purposeUsing 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. MATERIALS AND

methodsThirty-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.

resultsThe 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.

conclusionWearing 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.