Blog | Finlay Sutton - Denture Education

Alginate impression material for metal-based dentures

IIIMaxilla

I love alginate for definitive impressions for metal-based dentures, probably because it is hydrophilic, producing a great soft tissue impression of the edentulous denture bearing mucosa. Additionally, having worked with this material for many years, I have a good feel for it. I get better fitting RPDs with alginates compared to silicones. I very rarely need to remake the metal- frames owing to poor fit.

My advice, however, is to use whichever material you get the best results with, be it alginates, silicones or polyether.

It’s not easy

Removable prosthodontics is not easy and takes effort and graft to get good at it.

Like anything in life that is worth doing – it’s not easy, but it’s worth the effort.

Denture Blog 76

Subscribe to my Newsletter and Blog please email education@finlaysutton.co.uk

Ring rests and gold clasps

I use ring rests regularly on posterior teeth which are lone standing. They provide excellent support and stability, allowing the clasp element to work optimally. It is a design I have used for the past 7 years and is based on Scandinavian teachings. I particularly like gold I bars and gingivally approaching clasps? on premolars and canines as they are more flexible and more fatigue-resistant than cobalt chromium allowing deeper engagement of undercuts resulting in improved retention and less visibility.

Denture Blog 75

Subscribe to my Newsletter and Blog please email education@finlaysutton.co.uk

We are “life savers”

Lynn said to me:

“You are a life saver. I don’t know what I would have done without finding you. I wouldn’t be able to eat!”

We made complete dentures for this patient. The lower had a Molloplast B soft lining. I made 4 sets of dentures to get a successful outcome. See this step by step on YouTube.

This patient bruxes on the dentures in situ.

We do a really important job which can have a dramatic effect on our patients’ quality of lives. I quite often forget this!

Denture Blog 74

Lowering the possibility of unhappy denture patients

I say to the patient that "your new dentures will be well engineered lumps of plastic. They look like teeth but don’t work like teeth - like a prosthetic hand/leg, they will not work like natural teeth. I will make them to the very best technical standard; however, I am heavily reliant on you getting used to them. Just like learning to drive a car or learning a new skill (like golf, football, golf, violin, chess etc) it takes time to get used to them. You will need to work with them rather than against them”.

The new dentures must comfortable at the end of the fitting appointment

At the fitting appointment, I ensure that the new dentures are comfortable by the time the patient leaves, as any degree of soreness will gradually worsen as the dentures are worn. Enough time must be budgeted for this, so that there is no rush.

Denture Blog 72

Subscribe to my Newsletter and Blog please email education@finlaysutton.co.uk

Biting and new complete dentures – the sandwich filling

The occlusion is designed so that the anterior teeth do not contact when the patient brings the upper and lower teeth together in centric relation. The denture teeth will normally have good positive occlusal contacts on the premolars. This means that if a patent bites a “ham” sandwich the bread and the ham may separate, with the bread being held in the mouth and the “ham” staying in the body of the sandwich because the anterior teeth will not occlude.

The occlusion on the dentures is designed like this on purpose to encourage the patent to bite and chew using the premolars rather than the incisors which reduces tipping forces on the dentures.

I discuss this with the patient as part of their consent prior to treatment and at the denture delivery stage.

Denture Blog 71

Subscribe to my Newsletter and Blog please email education@finlaysutton.co.uk

Chewing and new dentures

I discuss with the patient that learning to chew satisfactorily with new dentures usually requires at least 6-8 weeks, and sometimes longer, particularly in complex dental situations such as a flat lower ridge, support problems and with cognitive learning problems, such as dementia (adaptation and learning takes longer).

New memory patterns through neuromuscular control require time to be established for the muscles of the tongue, cheeks and lips to keep the dentures in position.

Care must be taken to separate patience with the learning process from putting up with discomfort/pain caused by the new dentures. Some stoics will soldier on, doing damage.

Denture Blog 70

Subscribe to my Newsletter and Blog please email education@finlaysutton.co.uk