title: Salvation of a severely resorbed mandibular ridge with a neutral zone technique.
abstract: The objective of any prosthodontic service is to restore the patient to normal function, contour, esthetics, speech, and health. An optimum denture stability is difficult to achieve in conventional complete dentures. This problem is more magnified in mandibular dentures. The design of prostheses to replace lost teeth and resorbed ridges is largely determined by the position and amount of morphological change in the denture-bearing area of the jaws. A neutral zone may be defined as the space where, during function, the forces of the lips and cheeks pressing inward neutralize the forces of the tongue pressing outward. The neutral zone concept implies acquired muscle control, especially by tongue, lips, and cheeks toward the denture stability. Advocates of the neutral zone concept agree that a lack of favorable leverage is observed when teeth are positioned directly over the ridge. By employing the neutral zone concept, the dislodging muscle energy can easily become a retentive and stabilizing force.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics and Dental Material Sciences, Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India. kanhaiya_2005@sify.com
authors.forename: Kanhaiya L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Suchi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agarwal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000473:pathology; D016302:Centric Relation; D002610:Cheek / Q000502:physiology; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D003761:Dental Impression Technique; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D003819:Denture Bases; D003779:Denture Design; D003781:Denture Retention; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007574:Jaw Relation Record; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008046:Lip / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D014059:Tongue / Q000502:physiology; D014716:Vertical Dimension