The patient’s need: Economic aesthetics and functionality

By Daniel Lavrin, Dental Technician and Denturist

Listening to what patients want and need is a crucial factor for a successful rehabilitation. When it comes to dentures, many older patients are looking for an economic solution. On the other hand, what they don’t want, is a denture that lacks functionality and aesthetics. The following user report profiles how to accomplish efficient and economic aesthetics and fuctionality with an established treatment protocol and denture teeth of choice.

The patient’s situation

A72-year-old female patient presented in the office because she could not eat properly with her removable prosthetics. The partial denture in the lower jaw broke several times and was uncomfortable and unstable. Because of that, she stopped wearing it. Despite the age-appropriate bone atrophy, the remaining teeth, 32 and 33, did not show any signs of inflammation. Tooth 32 had a mobility of one.

The patient wanted to keep both teeth and refused implants, which would have distributed the forces more evenly. The disadvantages of an uneven load and the accelerating effect on her remaining teeth were explained.

In case of necessary extractions at a later stage, an easy denture teeth addition to the new partial denture could be provided, which was satisfactory to the patient. She was currently only using the full denture in the upper, which did not function well, as the occlusal forces were unbalanced.

She desired an improvement of aesthetics and eating conditions with new prosthetics. Her limited budget made an economic solution necessary. Based on these factors, VITA Multi Functional Teeth (VITA MFT) were chosen for the new full denture in the upper and a partial denture in the lower to guarantee aesthetics and functionality for an ideal price-performance ratio.