Immediate or transitional complete dentures: gerodontic considerations

Preprosthetic Management of "Flabby Ridge" on Edentulous Patient

For edentulous patients, the integrity of the osteomucosal-bearing surface is a significant factor for the balance of the future removable prosthesis. The supporting tissues are influenced by several factors. Physiological bone resorption, senescence, and changes caused by systemic diseases and polypharmacy lead to modifications in these tissues. Similarly, trauma caused by an ill-fitted prosthesis influences the degree of bone resorption and the development of hyperplastic tissue. The etiology of bone resorption is multifactorial and complex, with continuous individual variations that are often unexplained. Although, no study has been able to establish the importance of the different factors in relation to each other, it is often reported that chronic excessive mechanical pressure in relation to occlusal constraints is responsible for the appearance of local resorption's areas. The aim of this work is to present, through three clinical cases, the various factors involved in the alteration of the osteomucous-bearing surface and eventually, possible therapeutic attitude to deal with.

Prosthodontic care for elderly patients

For older patients, clinicians should consider maintaining teeth and using functionally-orientated treatment strategies as an alternative to removable prostheses. When the remaining dentition has a poor prognosis, key teeth should be preserved as overdenture abutments and a gradual transition to edentulousness planned. Where complete dentures are provided, these can be retained using dental implants to overcome many of the problems associated with conventional replacement dentures.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The elderly population of today is better informed and more demanding of oral healthcare providers than previous generations. Clinicians should be aware of all the prosthodontic treatment options available for older patients.

Conversion of a removable partial denture to a transitional complete denture: a clinical report

A procedure is described for conversion of an existing removable partial denture into a complete denture using autopolymerizing tooth-colored acrylic resin, acrylic resin denture repair material, and a clear matrix template. The shape, color, and position of the lost natural teeth may be duplicated in the transitional denture, minimizing the psychological concerns of the patient regarding esthetics and social impact. Because the patient is never without teeth, an appropriate healing time can occur before fabrication of the definitive prosthesis.