THE NEW REMOVABLE DENTURE PATIENT - TREATMENT PROCEDURES

Dentists are beginning to see a new type of patient who requires remov able prosthodontic rehabilitation. These patients are the result of bo th increases in longevity and dental treatment that has retained teeth , despite the onslaught of caries and periodontal disease. The current procedures for transitioning patients into removable prostheses can b e modified for this new group of patients. This article presents a tra nsition procedure for patients who are receiving removable prostheses, which dissociates the surgical phase of treatment from the prosthetic stage. The patient's existing teeth are incorporated into a removable prosthesis in a way that ensures the exact replication of the tooth p osition in the oral cavity. This method addresses many of the inadequa cies of current procedures while at the same time requiring a minimum of chair time. Even with this procedure, this transition is still diff icult for the patient.