Current concepts for determining the postpalatal seal in complete dentures.
OBJECTIVE
In 2001, a survey of U.S. dental schools was conducted to determine the concepts and techniques used for establishing the postpalatal seal (PPS) in a predoctoral dental curriculum.


METHODS
The questionnaire was mailed to the chairperson of the prosthodontic/restorative departments of 54 U.S. dental schools. Of these, 44 returned the completed survey, resulting in a response rate of 82%.


RESULTS
Results from this survey show that 80% of the schools are teaching a combination of phonation with other methods for locating the vibrating line. The 1 vibrating line concept for establishing the PPS is taught by 80% of schools; 77% of these schools locate the posterior termination of the maxillary denture on the vibrating line. Carving the PPS in the maxillary master cast is taught by 95% of the schools. Most of the schools teach the students to carve the PPS to a depth of 1.0-1.5 mm in the maxillary master cast. Compressibility of the palatal tissues is a consideration during PPS carving for 91% of the schools. The butterfly pattern is the most frequently (75%) described pattern for PPS carving.


CONCLUSIONS
There is some variability from school to school on performing the PPS in the maxillary denture, although some trends are evident.
Rashedi
Behnoush
B
Department of Restorative Dentistry, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6003, USA. brashedi@pobox.upenn.edu
Petropoulos
Vicki C
VC
D003479:Curriculum; D003779:Denture Design; D003827:Denture, Complete, Upper; D004497:Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D003765:Models, Dental; D010159:Palate / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010699:Phonation; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000193:education*; D012575:Schools, Dental; D013499:Surface Properties; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D014481:United States; D014732:Vibration