A Novel Technique for the Fabrication of Hollow Denture - A Need for Resorbed Ridge

Removable prosthesis is probably one of the oldest types of dental therapy used to rehabilitate patients with complete or partial edentulousness. The main function of the edentulous alveolar ridge is to provide a major area of support for the dentures.1 Ill-fitting prosthesis leads to a condition where there is no longer adequate support of bone due to RRR. Hence, rehabilitation of such cases pose a clinical challenge, as there is a decreased denture foundation area for support, retention and stability.2 Residual ridge resorption (RRR) is the severe atrophy of alveolar bone underlying the mucoperiosteum. RRR affects the alveolar bone morphology, resulting in a decreased denture foundation area and increased inter-alveolar ridge space. The increase in inter-ridge distance provides a huge restorative space which results in a heavier complete denture due to greater volume of denture base material. This increase in restorative space amalgamates with the long lip length of the patient which gives rise to huge challenge to the success of the complete denture. Also, decreased denture foundation area increases the heaviness of the prosthesis and negatively affects the retention of the denture due to gravity.3 Various weight-reduction techniques have been used in the past using a rigid three-dimensional spacer, such as dental stone (Ackerman, 1955), cellophanewrapped asbestos, silicone putty during laboratory preparation to keep denture base content out of the intended hollow cavity of the prosthesis. The following case report describes a distinct lab technique for construction of hollow maxillary complete denture for a patient with severe RRR.