How well are complete dentures copied?

OBJECTIVE: To assess how accurately the same set of complete dentures could be copied by 12 different laboratories. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTINGS: Completed by commercial laboratories used by GDPs in England (1996). Results were analysed and controlled by a university department. SUBJECTS (MATERIALS) AND METHODS: The master set was constructed to include a midline diastema and a bilateral posterior crossbite. Twelve sets of silicone moulds of the master denture were prepared. GDPs selected commercial laboratories of their choice to receive the work. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All stages of the work were compared with the master dentures by returning them to a specially adapted articulator. Analysis was completed using preset criteria. RESULTS: Only five of the returned copies were considered to have both good quality acrylic resin work and clear details of the teeth in wax. Only four cases reproduced the diastema. After processing, the occlusal vertical dimension had been increased in eight of the cases and the bilateral crossbite had been eliminated in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: None of the final copy dentures were considered an accurate copy of the master dentures. There is considerable scope for further training of dental technicians in this important technique.

Preparation of guide planes using a reciprocating handpiece.

A reciprocating handpiece and attachments have been found effective in preparing guide planes prior to the construction of removable partial dentures. A comparison was made of the enamel surface prepared using the reciprocating handpiece and a conventional rotary handpiece. Two-stage and three-stage techniques for each handpiece were compared. Scanning electron micrographs showed that a smoother surface was created by the reciprocating handpiece.