The proportion of elderly adults is rapidly increasing as life expectancy increases. Many of these adults will not retain sufficient numbers of teeth for the remainder of their lives and will require complete dentures at some point. This book deals with the planning, construction, and review of complete dentures and examines the role of osseointegrated prostheses in the management of edentulism.

ISBN: 1-85097-064-5
978-1-85097-064-4 , 9781850970644

132 pp; 109 illus

Contents

Chapter 1 Countdown to Edentulousness: Managing the Transition Successfully
Chapter 2 Assessment of the Edentulous Patient
Chapter 3 Impression Procedures for Complete Dentures
Chapter 4 Registration of the Jaw Relationship
Chapter 5 Aesthetic Considerations for Edentulous Patients
Chapter 6 Developing Occlusal Schemes for Complete Dentures
Chapter 7 From Trial Dentures to Delivery
Chapter 8 Review Visit: Problem Solving
Chapter 9 Building On Success with Copy Dentures
Chapter 10 The Shifting Treatment Paradigm: Replacement Dentures or Implant-retained Prostheses?
Index

Preface

Provision of complete dentures was a significant component of the undergraduate dental curriculum and of general dental practice. Improvements in dental health have reduced this requirement, but large numbers of edentate patients are still present in the population. Furthermore, the proportion of elderly adults is rapidly increasing as life expectancy increases. Many of these adults will not retain sufficient teeth, and will require complete dentures at some point in their lives. The first chapter of this book deals with the management of the transition to the edentulous state. This is a critical period for the older adult with a failing natural dentition, and many of the problems associated with failure to adapt to complete dentures arise at this stage. If the transition is managed carefully using good prosthetic technique, and the patient and dentist have a shared vision of the treatment goal, then subsequent problems can be avoided. The bulk of the text deals with the planning, construction and review of complete dentures. Emphasis is placed on customising the treatment plan to the individual patient's requirements and each chapter should be considered as part of a continuum rather than completely free-standing. Finally, the influence of osseointegrated prostheses in the management of edentulism is discussed in the last chapter. This form of treatment has been a major advance in prosthetic dentistry, but should it be seen as the “gold standard” of treatment for the edentulous state?

It is hoped that having read this book, the reader will be able to:

o Recognize the desirability of avoiding total tooth loss in old age.
o Understand that, when total tooth loss is inevitable, the transition to edentulousness should be made in a coordinated manner.
o Plan treatment for an edentulous patient, bearing in mind the huge variety in presentation of these patients.
o Recognize the relationship between retention, stability and support, and the impact of this relationship on complete denture technique.
o Follow a systematic approach to problem solving in patients with difficulties wearing complete dentures.
o Understand the role of implant-retained overdentures in the management of edentulous patients.

© 2003