Digital denture with mucostatic base and functional borders: A cast-free digital technique

J Prosthodont. 2024 May 6. doi: 10.1111/jopr.13863. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Digital complete dentures fabricated using a mucostatic impression, like intraoral scans, are desirable for their beneficial effect on long-term residual ridge stability but may have less retention than those fabricated with a mucocompressive impression. Border molding procedure may improve initial retention, thus favoring adaptation to new dentures, especially in cases where neuromuscular dysfunctions may diminish the patient's ability to cope with adapting to existing motor patterns or learn new ones. However, a mucocompressive impression may cause higher residual ridge resorption, thus resulting in a retention decrease over time. A desirable combination would be a digital denture with a mucostatic intaglio surface obtained from intraoral scans and functional borders. A cast-free digital workflow for that is demonstrated in this technical report.

Keywords: border molding; digital denture; intraoral scans; mucostatic impression.