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Case Report Light weight maxillary complete denture: A case

report using a simplified technique with thermocol
Vibha Shetty, Sivaranjani Gali, Smitha Ravindran
Department of Prosthodontics, M S Ramaiah Dental College And Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Address for correspondence: Dr. Sivaranjani Gali, E-mail: galisiva@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT
The success of a complete denture relies on the principles of retention, stability and support. The prosthodontist’s skill lies in
applying these principles efficiently in critical situations. Severely resorbed maxillary edentulous ridges that are narrow and
constricted with increased inter ridge space provide decreased support, retention and stability. The consequent weight of the
processed denture only compromises them further. This article describes a case report of an edentulous patient with resorbed
ridges where a simplified technique of fabricating a light weight maxillary complete denture was used for preservation of denture
bearing areas.

Key words: Complete dentures, hollow maxillary denture, inter ridge distance, light weight dentures, residual ridge
resorption

I t is obvious that in large maxillofacial defects

and in severe resorption of the edentulous
ridges, there is a decreased denture bearing area for
heat polymerizing acrylic resin over the definitive
cast and processing a minimal thickness of acrylic
resin around the teeth using a dif ferent drag.
support, retention and stability. Increased interridge Both portions of resin were attached using a heat
space compounds this problem. To decrease the polymerized resin.
leverage, reduction in the weight of the prosthesis
was recommended and was also found to be O’Sullivan et al,[11] described a modified method for
beneficial. [1,2] Various weight reduction approaches fabricating a hollow maxillary denture. A clear matrix
have been achieved using a solid three-dimensional of the trial denture base was made. The trial denture
spacer, including dental stone, [1-6] cellophane base was then invested in the conventional manner
wrapped asbestos,[7] silicone putty[8] or modeling till the wax elimination. A 2 mm heat polymerized
clay [9] during laboratory processing to exclude acrylic resin shim was made on the master cast using
denture base material from the planned hollow cavity a second flask. Silicone putty was placed over the
of the prosthesis. shim and its thickness was estimated using the clear
template. The original flask with the teeth was then
Holt et al,[8] processed a shim of indexed acrylic resin placed over the putty and the shim and the processing
over the residual ridge and used a spacer which was was done. The putty was later removed from the distal
then removed and the two halves luted with auto end of the denture and the openings were sealed with
polymerized acrylic resin. auto polymerizing resin.

Fattore et al , [10] used a variation of the double The technique was useful in estimation of the spacer
flask technique for obturator fabrication by adding thickness, but removal of putty was found to be
difficult especially from the anterior portion of the
Access this article online denture. Moreover, the openings made from the
Quick Response Code: distal end had to be sufficiently large to retrieve
Website:
www.jidonline.com the hard putty. In this case report, a 45-year-old
edentulous male patient with increased interridge
distance was treated with a light weight maxillary
DOI:
10.4103/2229-5194.77208 denture, using thermocol, a common packing
material, as spacer.

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Shetty, et al.: Light weight maxillary denture

CASE REPORT base was calculated. The rest of the denture base
till the border was then calculated [Figures 2 and 3].
A 45-year-old patient walked into the dental clinic with a Therefore, the spacer would occupy the area between
chief complaint of replacing missing teeth. He had been the shim of 2 mm thickness and teeth with 3 mm of
edentulous for 10 years and had been wearing dentures the denture base.
for 7 years. On examination, he had severely resorbed 2. The trial denture base was invested and processing
ridges, the upper being narrow and constricted and with carried out till the wax elimination stage. Two layers of
an interridge space of 38 mm [Figure 1]. Other clinical hard base plate wax over the definitive cast in the drag
abnormalities were not seen. (lower half of the flask or the cast side) conforming to
the border extensions was added [Figure 4].
Because of narrow constricted ridges and increased 3. A second flask was used to invest the base plate wax
interridge distance, a criss-cross teeth arrangement (with till wax elimination stage and the cope (upper half of
the lower right posterior teeth placed on the upper left the flask or cavity side) was packed and processed
posterior ridge and lower left posterior teeth placed on the with heat polymerizing resin [Figure 5].
upper right posterior ridge) was planned for better stability 4. The second cope with the polymerized acrylic resin
as the forces are directed better towards the ridges. A shim of 2 mm attached with the drag was separated.
light weight maxillary complete denture was planned to A denser ther mocol was placed over the bur
counteract the lateral forces better and decrease leverage. roughened acrylic shim along the ridge and luted with
cyanoacrylate [Figure 6].
Technique
5. The spacer thickness was modified according to the
1. Keeping in mind the strength of the denture, the calculation done above, leaving 3 mm from the teeth
distance from the teeth to 3 mm of the denture to the denture base.

Figure 1: The casts mounted on the articulator with the interridge distance Figure 2: Calculate the distance from teeth to 3 mm of denture base

Figure 3: Calculate the distance of 2 mm of denture base Figure 4: 2 mm of modeling wax on the definitive cast

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Shetty, et al.: Light weight maxillary denture

Figure 5: Heat cured shim of denture base processed on the definitive cast Figure 6: Thermocol luted to the denture base

Figure 7: Denture inserted in the patient’s mouth Figure 8: Denture inserted in the patient’s mouth

6. The original cope over the drag was reseated and CONCLUSION
complete closure of the flask was verified. The
heat polymerizing resin was then mixed, packed A simplified technique for fabricating light weight maxillary
and processed at 74 oC for 7-8 h. Pre insertion denture using thermocol as a spacer that can be left in the
occlusal corrections were made and the denture denture without compromising denture strength.
was inserted in the patient’s mouth [Figures 7
and 8].
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Source of Support: Nil, Conflict of Interest: None declared.
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