Complete dentures revisited

Abstract

To assist practitioners and undergraduates to understand the clinical basis of complete denture prosthodontics.

Complete dentures – assessment of the loose denture

“…For a denture to be retained, the total retentive forces acting upon a denture must outweigh the total displacing forces (Figure 1). 2,6 Various factors will affect these forces and are summarised in Table 1. Some of these factors will be related to the patient, whilst some will be related to the construction of the dentures.…”

“…3 For those patients who have not yet accepted their edentulous state, a favourable outcome is doubtful. 6 Furthermore, patients found to suffer from neuroticism tend to be less satisfied with their dentures than non-neurotic patients. 9 In addition to having good clinical and technical skills, a successful outcome may be helped by having insight into patient behavior and psychology.…”

“…If a patient reports numerous complaints, it can be prudent to ask the patient to prioritise which complaint is the most important. Appropriate questions to ask 2,3,6 during this history taking process and their relevance are shown in Table 3. A 'diagnostic discussion' facilitates the information about an appropriate treatment plan that aims to satisfy the patient's expectations.…”

“…This may be pronounced in patients who have strong mentalis muscles and significantly resorbed alveolar ridges. 6,16 Check that the lower denture is not destabilised when the patient sticks out their tongue or moves it from side-to-side. This may be evidence of an overextended lingual flange.…”

Effect of neutral zone technique on marginal bone loss around implant-supported overdentures

“…While restoration of the edentulous mouth with conventional complete dentures was associated with a number of problems related mainly to denture stability and overall satisfaction,[ 1 2 ] rehabilitation of the edentulous mouth with implant-supported fixed prostheses is associated with higher costs coupled with surgical and technical complexities. This may be considered a barrier for the wide clinical application of full-arch implant-supported fixed prostheses, despite their superior outcome in terms of oral function, patient satisfaction, and oral health-related quality of life.…”