POSTERIOR PALATAL SEAL "POST-DAM”

❖ The Peripheral Seal (Maxillary): Includes Cheek & Labial function, Palatal function.
❖ Purpose of Posterior palatal seal:
o To enhance retention & maintain peripheral seal of the maxillary denture base by compensating for:
▪ 1) polymerization shrinkage.
▪ 2) minor denture base functional movements.
❖ The Vibrating Area or Line: junction between the mobile and non-mobile portions of the soft palate.
o Posterior extent of maxillary denture base ends at or just anterior to the Vibrating Line
❖ Clinical Determination of the PPS:
o Identify the Vibrating Area or Line: Junction of the mobile and non-mobile palate.
o “Ah-Ah” sound.
o Use a blunt instrument to palpate the extent of the displaceable glandular tissue.
o Mark with indelible marking stick.
o Transfer extent of displaceable glandular tissues to impression.
o Transfer to master cast in preparation for cast modification.
o Develop “bead seal” by modifying cast with small rounded instrument.
o Taking into account location and thickness of displaceable tissues.
o Posterior palatal seal will be processed as a positive “bead seal” on palatal portion of denture base.
❖ Post Damming:
o Slight compression of soft tissue along the posterior palatal edge of an upper denture at the junction
of the movable and immovable parts of the soft palate.
o A light elevation at the posterior border of maxillary Denture.
o Functions:
▪ 1- It enhance posterior border seal
• a) increase retention
• b) Prevents food under denture.
▪ 2- Base thickness less conspicuous
▪ 3- Compensate for polymerization shrinkage
▪
❖ Posterior palatal seal area
o The soft tissues beyond the junction of the hard and soft palates on which pressure within the
physiologic limits can be applied by a denture to aid in retention of the denture.
❖ Peripheral seal
o The area of contact between the lip and cheek mucosa and the denture borders that prevent passage
of air between the base and the tissues.
❖ Soft palate anatomy
o The soft palate has two parts:
▪ The anterior part that is adjacent to the hard palate → immovable.
▪ The posterior part → movable.
▪ The posterior limit of the maxillary denture should be located at the junction of movable &
immovable parts of soft palate.
▪ This line is termed the vibrating line.
▪ This can be determined clinically by asking the patient to say a series of “Ah”
❖ Position of post dam
o On non-movable soft palate.
o Just behind the hard palate.
o Posterior to fovea palatinae.
o Between hamular notches.
o Anterior to the vibrating line.

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❖ Dimensions of the post dam:
o Width of the post dam:
▪ The shape of post dam is Butterfly (Cupid's bow).
▪ It is usually narrow in its central part (due to-the presence of the posterior nasal spine),
wide as it extends laterally on each side and narrows again as it approaches the pterygomaxillary
notch to fade out behind the tuberosity.
▪ Its width depends on soft palate curvature.
▪ The House Palatal Classification
• Class I: Gentle curvature of the soft palate with minimal muscular activity, which provides a
broader palatal seal area.
• Class II: Medium curvature of the soft plate that allows posterior palatal seal area of medium
width.
• Class III: Sharp curvature of the soft plate that allows posterior palatal seal area of narrow
width
• NOTE: The greater the functional movement of the soft palate the less favorable the House
Classification.
o Depth of the post dam:
▪ According to compressibility of the tissue.
❖ Techniques of post-damming:
o 1- Conventional method
▪ During jaw relation recording or at the try-in.
▪ The vibrating line is observed in the patient's mouth
▪ The vibrating line marked by indelible pencil.
▪ The vibrating line marking is transferred to tissue surface of record base.
▪ Designing the post- dam
• The post dam area palpated for compressibility (depth) and width.
• Transferred to the cast.
• Avoid non-displaceable tissues overlying the torus palatinus and tuberosities
▪ Scraping of master cast
• The cast scrapped across the posterior border
• Anterior to a line: between the two hamular notches passing behind the fovea palatinae.
o 2- Functional post-damming
▪ Carding wax (wax that softens at mouth temperature) is used at the time of final impression.
▪ This method registers the functional displacement of the soft palate.
▪ Identify the two fovea palatina
▪ Mark the vibrating line (and posterior extent of the denture base) 1.0 mm posterior to the fovea
palatina (Arbitrary location for laboratory exercise only! Must be clinically determined).
▪ Mark the posterior palatal seal
▪ Avoid non-displaceable tissues overlying the torus palatinus and tuberosities
▪ Carve bead seal with small discoid
▪ Mimic thickness of displaceable tissues and potential movement of mobile soft palate
❖ Post damming the lower denture
o A lower denture may be post dammed at each distal extremity by slightly compressing the soft
tissues forming the retromolar pad.
o This must be done at the time of final impression rather than scrapping the cast.
❖ The Peripheral Seal (Mandibular): Includes Cheek & Labial function, Tongue function.

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 RELIEF
❖ Relief: is reduction or elimination of undesirable pressure from a specific region under a denture base.
❖ Relief area: The area in the fitting surface of the denture that is reduced to eliminate excessive pressure.
❖ Areas to be relieved
o I- Hard bony areas: Areas covered by thin mucoperiosteum are usually hard and require relief to avoid
pain and/or rocking of the denture
▪ A-In the maxillary arch:
• Denture is relieved over thin mucosa: To avoid pain & Prevent rocking of the denture.
• A- Median palatine raphe.
• B -Torus palatinus.
• C -Thin bony edges.
• D- Maxillary Tuberosity, If Prominent.
▪ B- In the mandibular arch:
• Torus mandibularis.
• Prominent genial tubercles.
• Thin knife edge lower ridge (Crest of thin lower ridge).
• Any sharp bony protuberance.
o II- Sensitive areas.
▪ A-In the maxillary arch:
• a) Incisive papilla.
• b) Enlarged rugae areas (especially when they are undermined).
▪ B- In the mandibular arch:
• Mental foramen areas (especially in flat lower ridges).
❖ Shape of relief: According to the extent & depth of the hard or sensitive areas.
❖ Methods of relief
o I- Direct relief.
▪ Area to be covered outlined.
▪ Foil of 0.5-inch thickness is cut.
▪ Burnished by blunt instrument.
▪ Cemented to the cast before the trial denture is made.
o II- Automatic relief.
▪ It is obtained at time of secondary impression (selective pressure impression technique).
❖ Depth of relief
o It depends on the compressibility of the areas of thick mucous membrane and should be sufficient
to prevent the denture from pressing on the areas of thin mucosal coverage when full masticatory
loads are imposed.
❖ Value of relief
o 1-Comfort for the patient.
o 2- Compensate for bone resorption: Since resorption occurs in the alveolar process, so relief of hard
areas in the middle of the palate would enhance denture stability for a long time.
o 3-Compensate for technical discrepancies, (Relief of the tuberosities).
❖ Disadvantages of Relief:
o It may affect the retention gained by accurate adaptation of denture base and oral tissue
because there is no actual contact between denture base and the tissue at the areas of relief.

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 RECORDING BASES AND OCCLUSION RIMS
❖ Definitions:
o Are a combination of a base material and an arch shaped material build up (occlusion rim) which
stands in the space formerly occupied by patient's natural teeth.
o Occlusion blocks consists of, a trial denture base and occlusion rims.
❖ Recording base
o The trial denture base is a temporary form that closely resembles the final base of the denture under
construction.
o Requirements of an ideal recording base
▪ -They must be rigid and strong.
▪ -They must be well adapted to the cast. and accurately fit the denture area.
▪ -They should retain their shape at mouth temperature.
▪ -They should have smooth and round borders.
▪ -They should be non-irritant.
▪ -They should be easy to manipulate.
o Types of recording bases:
▪ Temporary recording bases
• These bases are used during the various steps and will later be replaced by the permanent
denture base.
• The materials used for temporary bases are:
o Shellac baseplate.
o Self-curing acrylic resin.
o Vacuum formed vinyl or polystyrene.
▪ Permanent recording bases
• It is the base of the finished denture.
• The materials used for permanent bases are:
o Heat-curing acrylic resin
o Cast metal (gold, chromium-cobalt alloy and chromium nickel).
❖ Temporary recording bases
o 1- Shellac baseplate
o 2- Self-curing acrylic resin
▪ The cast is prepared by blocking out the undercuts with wax and applying a separating medium.
▪ The auto polymerizing resin is mixed and allowed to reach the dough stage, then rolled to a sheet
of 2-3 mm thick. While the acrylic sheet is still soft, it is adapted to the cast and the excess resin
is trimmed with sharp knife.
▪ After polymerization has been completed, the acrylic base is removed and retrimmed with bur.
▪ Advantages
• They are strong and have accurate fit.
• Do not soften or warp at mouth temperature.
• Any type of occlusal rims can be mounted to it.
▪ Disadvantages
• The retention may be reduced due to blocking out of the undercuts on the cast.
o 3- Vacuum -formed vinyl or polysterene
▪ The vacuum method is very easy, fast and gives accurate results.
▪ The cast is prepared by blocking out the undercuts.
▪ The cast is placed in its position on the vacuum machine.
▪ Vinyl or polysterene sheet is inserted in the frame located below the heat source.
▪ Heating should be continued until the sheet is softened and begins to sag.
▪ The supporting frame carrying the softened sheet is lowered onto the cast.
▪ The vacuum is turned on to adapt the sheet.
▪ The heater is turned off and the base is allowed to cool then removed and trimmed
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❖ Permanent denture bases
o 1-Heat-curing acrylic resin
▪ Advantages
• The bases are rigid, accurate and stable.
• It does not warp at mouth temperature.
• The bond between the wax rim and the base is strong.
• Any type of occlusal rim can be used.
• Retention and stability can be tested in the mouth before the finishing of the denture.
▪ Disadvantages
• Time consuming
• Warpage always occurs when acrylic resin is reprocessed. However, this can be prevented by
attaching the teeth to the base by cold-curing acrylic resin.
• It is not advisable to finish the denture on these bases.
o 2- Cast alloys
▪ These recording bases are permanent and become part of the finished denture.
▪ Disadvantage:
• They are more costly than other types of bases.
• They require more time for fabrication.

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❖ Occlusion Rim:
o The occlusion rims are used for:
▪ 1- Establishing accurate maxillomandibular jaw relations (vertical dimension & centric relation).
▪ 2- Establishing the proper lip and cheek support (fullness of the lips and cheeks).
▪ 3- Choice of teeth:
• High and low lip lines; the distance between each of them and the occlusal plane determines
the length of the upper and lower teeth.
▪ 4- Canine lines:
• The distance between the canine lines determines the width of the maxillary anterior teeth.
• The distance between the canine lines and the posterior end of the occlusion rim determines
the mesiodistal width of the posterior teeth.
▪ 5- Arrangement of the artificial teeth; occlusion rim helps in the determination of:
• The proper occlusal plane.
• The neutral zone and the shape of the arch.
• The labial surface of the teeth.
• Position of mid line of the arch for the correct placement of the central incisors.
• Generally, the occlusion rims form the medium in which the teeth are set up.
o The following factors should be considered during fabrication of occlusion rims:
▪ 1- The relationship of the natural teeth to the alveolar bone
• The fabrication of successful, functional and esthetic prosthesis can be accomplished if the
artificial teeth are placed in the same position that was occupied by the natural teeth they are
replacing.
▪ 2- Relation of occlusion rims to edentulous ridge
• The occlusion rims replace the natural teeth both in dimension and in their relationship to
anatomic structures.
• These relationships should be re-established by the occlusion rims even if resorption of the
residual ridge has occurred.
o Dimension of occlusion rims
▪ a- The width:
• Approximate width of the rim is 5-6 mm in the anterior area, 8-10 mm in the posterior area.
• wider posterior than anterior, about 5-7 mm in premolar area and 8-10 mm in molar area.
▪ b- The height:
• The height is measured from the reflection to the top of the occlusion rim.
• The height of the maxillary rim
o The anterior region should be about 22 mm.
o The posterior portion should be about 18 mm.
• The height of the mandibular rim
o The anterior height should be about 16 mm.
o The posterior height should be 14 mm.
▪ These basic dimensions are subject to final chair side changes.
▪ The upper rim terminates at the anterior aspect of the maxillary tuberosity.
▪ The lower rim terminates anterior to the retromolar pad.
o Materials used for construction of occlusion rims:
▪ Baseplate wax “commonly used”
▪ Modeling compound (composition).
▪ Mixture of plaster and abrasive.

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o Fabrication Technique
▪ A- Baseplate wax:
• A sheet of baseplate is soften by heating over a flame, then rolled upon itself .The soft wax
roll is adapted to a bead of sticky wax that was previously placed on the crest of the recording
base The roll is sealed to the base using spatula and molten wax The edges of the wax should
be extended along the lateral surface of the recording base . The anterior surface should
incline outwards, while the posterior surface is shaped inwards. The dimensions of the
occlusion rim are adjusted using hot wax knife.
• Advantages:
o Simple and quick in construction.
o Acceptable to the patient
• Disadvantages:
o They are distorted if kept in the mouth for more than few minutes.
o Uneven pressure occurs if the wax is not homogeneously softened.
o They are inaccurate for patients who bite hard on the blocks.
▪ B- Compound impression
• The compound is softened in warm water, moulded into a block of the needed size and sealed
to the recording base.
• The use of compound rim is indicated to obtain more than one record of the occlusion e.g.
functional recordings.
• Advantages:
o 1- They do not soften at mouth temperature.
o 2- They are not distorted under pressure.
• Disadvantages:
o Difficult to cut and trim.
▪ C- A mixture of plaster and abrasive occlusion rims
• Main objective of this technique is to obtain degree of curvature of the compensating curves.

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