Clinical evaluation of a patient and existing dentures
The reference denture workflow starts in the Clinic with a clinical assessment of the patient and their existing dentures followed by taking functional impressions using the existing dentures as individual trays.
Before deciding to move on with using an existing denture you must first assess if it meets the requirements for use with this treatment workflow.
Requirements for the existing denture to be used as reference denture:
Denture Base check
Courtesy of denturist Michael Wiernek
- The denture base will act as a custom tray, therefore it should cover the key anatomical landmarks and provide support for border molding.
- Upper denture base covers tuberosities.
- Lower denture base covers retromolar pads.
- The denture base should be intact, if parts of the denture are missing or it is not structurally stable, it may not qualify as a reference denture without reinforcement.
- Denture can also be evaluated based on providing sufficient space for the impression material. In case the denture geometry needs to be modified, a copy denture can be made for this purpose.
Occlusion check
Ensure that the reference denture(s) can be used to obtain a reliable bite registration.
The occlusion may be worn, but the excessively broken or missing teeth can make the bite registration challenging to obtain.
Esthetic and functional check – things to communicate to the laboratory
- Anterior teeth length check
- Desired smile line (may also be communicated via Smile design)
- Anterior teeth position with regards to the incisal papilla check
- Any corrections to plane cant?
- Any changes to the midline of the reference denture
- Lip and cheek support check
- Skeletal class or bite class information
Crucially, it’s at this point where you can take note and communicate patient preferences about anterior tooth arrangement, tooth shape, and shade to the dental lab.
Courtesy of Erik Kukucka
If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to our Customer Support team.
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