Abstract
The aim of the article is to assist practitioners in the diagnosis and management of complete denture problems by addressing the problems from a theoretical viewpoint and in a clinically diagnostic way.
From Volume 41, Issue 3, April 2014 | Pages 250-259
The aim of the article is to assist practitioners in the diagnosis and management of complete denture problems by addressing the problems from a theoretical viewpoint and in a clinically diagnostic way.
In 1984, Applebaum wrote:1
“…a man with no eyes cannot see, a man with no legs cannot run but a man with no teeth expects to eat and chew with dentures as well as he did when he had natural teeth.”
While the second statement has since been disproved, via prostheses, this aphorism is still apt when complete dentures are considered. It underlines the importance of appreciating the contribution the patient can make to the success of dentures, in addition to the overall value of the dental team operating optimally. This is demonstrated in Figure 1, which summarizes the four essential factors involved in creating a good outcome for complete denture treatment.
The foremost is of course the patient and, unless the patient is accepting of her/his edentulous state and, further, is capable of some denture control, then a favourable outcome is doubtful. Experienced clinicians will recall delivering prosthodontically acceptable dentures which patients cannot tolerate; they will also doubtless recall examining patients who have coped, or are coping quite well with dentures which fly in the face of conventional (prosthodontic) wisdom. The importance, therefore, of determining the expectations and denture-wearing history cannot be under-emphasized.
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