The VITAPAN EXCELL denture tooth – natural functionality, lifelike beauty.

At the end of September at the VITA Academy in Langen, Germany, the spotlight during our patient course for dentists and dental technicians was on a highly complex topic: full denture prosthetics. Our dental team comprised of dentist Dr. Karl-Uwe Jülich from Bergneustadt and dental technician Karl-Heinz Körholz from Königswinter, known as Kalle among his colleagues, demonstrated all the relevant steps from anatomical impression-taking to final setup using VITAPAN EXCELL Anterior and VITAPAN LINGOFORM Posterior denture teeth. The experts traveled with a patient they had both treated, working with that patient to demonstrate all the steps and allowing course participants to verify their own relational templates and setups. A patient simply isn't an articulator, something that every dental technician should bear in mind. At the same time, dentists also used the articulator once again and applied the guidelines that dental technicians follow in their work.

The team of Jülich and Körholz explained the two-step approach to impressions as follows: "For impressions, we recommend a prefabricated tray that is first customized in the patient's mouth using selected silicone putty and then used for an alginate impression." When the initial anatomical impression is taken, all relevant areas should be reproduced. In doing so, smaller defects can also be added using wax without having to completely redo the impression. The margins of the functional impression tray should be marked on the model immediately before trimming. The tray must later be shortened or extended accordingly, until it fits properly throughout. Dr. Jülich then demonstrated how two-step mucodynamic impression-taking is performed with the patient. To finish up, every course participant used master models that had already been pre-articulated to create their own relational templates for determining the jaw relation. These were then tried-in on the patient and adapted accordingly.

Simply tossing prosthetic teeth into the mouth and thinking it will work out, just won't do," Körholz noted prior to model analysis. It is imperative that the latter be carried out so that correct tooth positioning from a functional perspective can be precisely determined in advance and the resulting patient restoration is ideal both in terms of static and dynamic function.  Körholz demonstrated model analysis in accordance with TiF from start to finish, before every participant performed it independently themselves. While the dental technicians were first able to learn a lot through the direct patient contact that is often missing in the daily laboratory routine, dentists were now able to focus once again on working with the articulator and carrying out wax setup. VITAPAN EXCELL, the denture tooth used for this purpose, corresponds to esthetic guidelines in terms of the tooth axis and the angular features, which enabled intuitive setup. Thanks to the multifunctional occlusal surface design of VITAPAN LINGOFORM, the posterior teeth in the setup were automatically in the correct centric position when the articulator was closed. The highlight in the end was try-in of the wax setups with the patient. Despite the same initial situation, every setup had its own individual touch, and every setup was also a resounding success. At the same time in the mouth, VITAPAN EXCELL showed its natural, three-dimensional layering and lifelike surface texture.

This is what a course should be like: dental technicians and dentists working on and learning from the same case, exchanging ideas and benefiting from a team of instructors with decades of experience who also collaborate successfully in their daily work. Through continuous comparison via the patient, dental technicians were able to transfer their expertise with the model and the articulator to the patient's mouth. Dentists benefited not only from tips and tricks when it came to taking impressions or determining the jaw relation with the patient, they also had the opportunity once again to follow full denture guidelines using the articulator. This is how full denture prosthetics can be improved and a shared understanding and technical knowledge can be cultivated. And one thing is for certain: the participants now understand how Kalle makes dentures.

More information on YouTube.com.

You can register for the next free webinars on analog full denture prosthetics using VITAPAN EXCELL at vita-zahnfabrik.com/Online_Workshops or for intensive hands-on courses with Karl-Heinz Körholz at vita-zahnfabrik.com/Kurse.

Ute Schmidt is happy to answer any questions on training with the VITA ACADEMY.
Telephone: +49(0)7761/562-235
Fax: +49(0)7761/562-816
E-Mail: u.schmidt@vita-zahnfabrik.com