B

The retromolar pad is a stable, stress-bearing soft-tissue landmark on the mandible; mandibular complete or partial denture bases are deliberately extended to cover this pad to maximize support, seal, and stability. Clinical and morphologic studies emphasize that the denture base should include the retromolar region for optimal function (Pietrokovski et al., 2007, PMID 17672832; Tauchi et al., 2015, PMID 26218022).