68. Prosthetic restorations for completely edentulous patients. Complete denture components.
Explains what a complete denture is and who needs one, then sets out its components: the denture base, artificial teeth, flanges and borders. Covers the three surfaces (fitting, polished and occlusal) with a diagram of a lower denture in the neutral zone, followed by muscular control and how it depends on design and patient adaptation. Ends with a table of primary, secondary and relief supporting areas for the upper and lower jaws, and why the lower denture is harder to manage.
Topic 68 of 75 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Preclinics of Dental Prosthetics (Dental Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 6 sections, about 190 words (3 min of reading), with 15 flashcards.
In this note
Introduction
Who needs one
Components
Three surfaces
Muscular control
Supporting areas
Introduction
A complete (full) denture is a removable prosthesis that replaces all the teeth of a jaw together with the lost parts of the alveolar process. Its job is to restore form, function and appearance: chewing, speech, lip and cheek support, and the height of the face.
Who needs one
Patients who have lost all teeth in one or both jaws.
Teeth that can't be kept because of extensive caries, periodontal disease or bone loss.
When implants aren't possible or affordable (implant-retained dentures are an alternative).
Muscular control
Patients wear complete dentures successfully once they learn to control them with their lips, cheeks and tongue. Success depends on two things:
The design of the dentures: the teeth and polished surfaces in the neutral zone, where the inward push of lips and cheeks balances the outward push of the tongue, so active muscles hold the denture instead of displacing it.
The patient's ability to learn the necessary skill. Older patients, or those with poor neuromuscular control, adapt more slowly.
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