COMPLETE DENTURES



7. BEFORE STARTING THE DENTURE
Know the Mouth

Remember in your Freshman year you took a lot of time to examine each other. It would not take too long to examine your patient.

Is there anything abnormal in the patient's mouth? Wouldn't you feel great if you could find something that could save this patient's life.

A patient once complained to me about a pimple inside the cheek that wouldn't heal. The rest of the story was a major operation and a long life. It could have been a short life.

You certainly want to know if and where the frena exist. How close to the crest of the ridge do they extend? What is the shape of the palate? Is there a large tuberosity? Just because the tuberosity looks normal doesn't mean it doesn't need a reduction. How does the height of the ridge vary from anterior to posterior? Is the tissue flaccid?

If there is anything in the patient's mouth that is going to make the denture difficult to make or wear, why don't you mention it before you start.

If you wait to tell them about denture problems after the denture is completed, then it is an excuse.

1981 Board Exam

The medical history of an edentulous patient may disclose a systemic disturbance.  Which of the following conditions would be of the most concern to the dentist?
1. Anemia
2. Diabetes
3. Osteoporosis
4. Stomach Ulcers
5. Rheumatic Fever

Click for the Answer

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©1999 by Julius Rosen, D.D.S.