The Impact of Complete Dentures on Head and Postural Stability in Older Adults: Insights Into Sensory‐Motor Integration

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how complete dentures influence head and standing stability under sensory-challenging conditions, providing insight into sensory-motor integration and dental interventions in geriatric populations. BACKGROUND: Age-related sensory-motor deficits impair postural control, increasing fall risk among older adults. While stability relies on the integration of visual, vestibular and somatosensory inputs, the contribution of oral sensory feedback and the potential compensatory role of dentures remain insufficiently understood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stability was evaluated in 21 edentulous (78.6 ± 5.8 years; with and without dentures) and 18 dentate participants (79.5 ± 3.6 years) using accelerometers and force platforms under varying sensory conditions (firm/foam surface; eyes open/closed; single vs. dual task). Maximal voluntary contraction of dorsiflexors and plantar flexors was also measured to assess lower-limb muscle strength. Groups were comparable in age, anthropometric, and cognitive characteristics, ensuring the validity of between-group comparisons. RESULTS: Postural stability decreased under combined visual and proprioceptive deprivation, with edentulous participants demonstrating markedly greater mediolateral instability than dentate controls. Denture use reduced instability relative to the no-denture condition, particularly in anterior-posterior Center of Pressure (COP) velocity; however, stability remained consistently inferior to that of dentate participants across task conditions. Increases in task complexity (e.g., dual-task and sensory-deprived conditions) were associated with further deterioration in stability measures across all groups, with the largest changes observed in edentulous participants without dentures. No meaningful differences were observed in lower-limb muscle strength between groups. CONCLUSION: Denture use only partially restored stability in elder edentulous participants. Observed differences were primarily attributed to sensory-motor integration. These findings highlight the impact of compromised oral sensory input on balance and underscore the need for longitudinal studies incorporating standardized denture positioning, extended muscle assessments, and dynamic balance analyses to enhance fall-prevention strategies among older adults.