INTRODUCTION
Traditional denture fabrication typically requires 5 or more appointments. With today’s digital workflows, practitioners can deliver high-quality dentures in just 2 visits, with clinical data showing 96.6% of cases seat perfectly without a try-in appointment.
CLINICAL ADVANTAGES
Integrating digital dentures into a practice offers numerous advantages, including increased chairtime efficiency, faster delivery of final dentures, and improved patient satisfaction. Since 2015, ROE Dental Laboratory has been at the forefront of helping dental offices optimize and digitize their denture workflows, completing more than 90,000 digital denture cases across the United States.
Digital dentures increase time and material efficiencies, resulting in higher profitability per patient.
As technology has advanced, so too have digital dentures. Improvements in 3D printing, resins, and design software have empowered dentists to provide aesthetic, durable final dentures in just 2 appointments, without try-ins. While this is a significant benefit, there may still be instances where adjustments to the final denture are needed. ROE’s innovative “Reverse Reset” solution allows for such modifications. If the clinician or patient requests changes to the final denture, new intraoral scans of the adjusted denture, along with photos, are sent to ROE, where the adjustments are applied in the design software and a revised denture is quickly produced.
Finished 3D printed Lucitone denture.
Denture designs are stored digitally, so if a denture is lost or broken, ROE can reproduce it without new records. This gives practices an opportunity to generate additional revenue by offering patients backup dentures or maintenance programs that include cleaning and scheduled replacements. When it is time for a refresh, a quick IOS scan of the relined denture lets ROE create new dentures efficiently with minimal chair time required.
APPOINTMENT PROTOCOL
Approximately 80% of denture patients present with existing prostheses. While many express dissatisfaction with their current dentures, these existing appliances provide valuable information about occlusal planes, vertical dimension, and aesthetic parameters, serving as an excellent foundation for digital design. While this article focuses on patients presenting with existing dentures, it’s important to note that edentulous cases are just as successful with just one more appointment for the bite block records.
A technician designs and modifies dentures digitally.
FIRST APPOINTMENT: DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION
Objective: Capture accurate digital records of the patient’s condition and preferences.
For patients with existing dentures, the process begins with an assessment of the reference denture and impression taking. Practitioners apply heavy-bodied material around the denture borders for initial molding, followed by a wash impression capturing functional movements and a full-face/full-smile photo of the patient wearing the denture(s). Using an intraoral scan, the impression surface is digitally recorded, focusing on the intaglio surface, borders, and buccal aspects, skipping the shiny tongue side. The entire scanning process typically requires only 2 to 4 minutes per arch.
Wash impression inside the reference denture.
SECOND APPOINTMENT: DELIVERY
Objective: Ensure optimal fit, function, and patient satisfaction.
The final visit focuses on delivering the definitive prosthesis. The high success rate of digital design ensures predictable results with minimal to no adjustment. Practitioners verify fit and occlusion, confirm aesthetics, and provide care instructions.
Optional Appointment: Try-in
With 96.6% of dentures seating perfectly without try-in, this appointment is truly optional. Consider including this step only for cases involving:
- High aesthetic demands
- Significant changes from existing dentures
- Patient anxiety about outcomes
- Complex occlusal schemes
- Previous unsuccessful denture experiences
IOS scanners are used to capture a digital denture record.
CONCLUSION
This streamlined digital workflow represents a significant advancement in removable prosthetics, allowing practices to deliver excellent results efficiently. The optional try-in appointment provides flexibility when needed, while the high success rate supports a direct-to-final approach for most cases.
For more information, call ROE Dental Laboratory at (800) 228-6663 or visit roedentallab.com.
