Old dentures that have insufficient vertical height are commonly associated with which condition?

• A. Angular cheilitis
• B. Gingival hyperplasia
• C. Oral leukoplakia
• D. Glossitis

Answer: (A)

When dentures lose vertical height, the occlusal vertical dimension and lip support decrease, so the lips don’t seal fully and the commissures become prone to overclosure and repetitive irritation. This creates chronic moisture and maceration at the corners of the mouth, with small fissures that heal poorly. The warm, damp environment fostered there allows Candida (and bacteria) to colonize, leading to angular cheilitis. The other conditions—gum overgrowth from irritation or drugs, a white patch on mucosa, or tongue inflammation from deficiency or irritation—don’t share this pattern of denture-related moisture, fissuring, and localized infection at the mouth corners.