Background. Various occlusal schemes have been introduced over the years to enhance the stability, comfort, beauty and function of complete denture, of which lingualized, bilateral balanced and monoplane occlusions are the most recommended. The aim of this study was to compare the strain in mandibular denture-supporting structures in three different occlusal schemes. Methods. Two mandibular and maxillary models were simulated using epoxy resin, and strain gauges were embedded on each side of the mandible in mental foramen, buccal shelf and distolingual area. Strain values were measured in three occlusal schemes at centric occlusion protrusive and lateral movements. Data were analyzed with one-way and three-way ANOVA, followed by post-hoc Tukey tests. The significant level was set at 0.05. Results. The mean strain in denture-supporting area was lower in monoplane occlusion than the two other occlusal schemes, and the mean of values in the buccal shelf was higher than that of mental foramen and distolingual area. In all the three occlusal schemes, the mean strain values on the working side were higher than those on the non-working side during eccentric movements. Conclusion. Monoplane occlusal scheme imposed lower strain on denture-supporting area, with the buccal shelf being the primary strain-bearing area to tolerate more pressure than the rest of the denture-supporting areas. In terms of strain distribu-tion scheme, in all the three occlusal schemes, the working side received more strain than the non-working side during eccen-tric movements.
Keywords: Bilateral balanced; buccal shelf; distolingual; functional stress; lingualized occlusion; monoplane.