Complete Dentures: Modern Construction Techniques

Why occlusal vertical dimension and centric relation are the two parameters that determine the functional and aesthetic success of a complete denture, and how the digital workflow is now complementing traditional techniques.

Building a complete denture follows a technical protocol structured in multiple phases, starting with a preliminary alginate impression on which a custom tray is built, followed by a functional impression that more precisely records muscle shape and the border movements of soft tissue during function. The master model obtained from this functional impression is the foundation the entire denture is built on, and its quality directly affects the stability of the finished appliance.

Two clinical parameters determine the success of a complete denture more than any other: centric relation — the reproducible position of the mandible relative to the maxilla that gives the patient a solid basis for a correct occlusal relationship — and occlusal vertical dimension (OVD), meaning the distance between the arches when the teeth are in contact. An incorrect OVD has visible consequences: if excessive, it causes noise during chewing and muscle fatigue; if insufficient, it causes a characteristic aging of the facial profile, with the lips sinking in and perioral wrinkles becoming more pronounced. Patient phonetics — meaning the ability to correctly pronounce certain sounds with the trial denture in the mouth — is one of the most reliable clinical tools for validating the chosen OVD before finalization.

On the technical side, an element often little known to the patient but relevant to upper denture retention is the post-dam, the posterior sealing border of the plate that leverages compression of the soft palate tissue to create a suction effect that significantly contributes to denture retention, especially without adhesives. Finally, artificial tooth arrangement follows balanced occlusion criteria designed to ensure denture stability throughout all phases of chewing, not just at maximum intercuspation.

In recent years the digital workflow has complemented, without yet fully replacing, the traditional technique: intraoral scanning has partly replaced alginate for preliminary impressions, and dedicated software allows designing the three-dimensional tooth setup and producing 3D-printed trial dentures before final fabrication. A distinctive element of the most recent hybrid protocols is precisely this combination of both worlds: traditional impressions remain considered more accurate in fully edentulous patients for recording soft tissue, while subsequent digitization of those same impressions allows leveraging the speed and repeatability of the digital workflow in later phases.

On Oralzon you'll find materials for functional impressions, resins for denture bases and artificial teeth in various shapes and shades for building complete dentures with both traditional and digital technique.