MAXILLARY

DENTURE
SUPPORTING AREAS
AND LIMITING
STRUCTURES
DR. EHTESHAM KHAN
BDS, MFDS RCSED, FCPS PROSTHODONTICS
SENIOR REGISTRAR, DEPARTMENT OF PROSTHODONTICS
Background knowledge and its
significance
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR US TO LEARN ANATOMY AGAIN?
HOW IS IT IMPORTANT TO MAKING A DENTURE??????
The need to understand anatomy
The need to understand the
anatomy
 For a complete denture to function effectively,
it must follow two principles

 Cover the maximum area possible to get

maximum support and retention

 It must be in harmony with the tissues that support

and surround it
The need to understand the
anatomy
 A dentist needs to have a good knowledge of

 The anatomy of these structures

 How the denture will influence these structures

 How these structures will influence the denture

 These tissues, on which the denture rests, is known as the DENTURE

FOUNDATION
ANATOMY OF SUPPORTING
STRUCTURES
ANATOMY OF SUPPORTING
STRUCTURES
 The foundation for dentures is made up of  Bone
 Covering soft tissues

 Denture base rests on mucous membrane, which serves as a cushion

between the denture base and supporting bone
Bone

 Provides the actual support for the denture

 Maxillary bones and palatine bones

 2 types  Cancellous
bone
 Cortical bone Best support
 Lies in maxillary residual ridge
Mucous Membrane

 Composed of
 Mucosa

 Submucosa
 Formed of connective tissue
 Varies in character from dense to loose areolar tissue  Varies
in thickness
 Contains glands, fat, muscle fibres, blood supply, nerve supply
Mucosa

 3 types  Masticatory
mucosa
 Well defined keratinized epithelium (st. sq. epithelium)

 Lack of tissue movement

 Mucosa covering the the hard palate and crest of ridge

 Excellent stress bearing tissues

Mucosa

 Lining mucosa
 Loose attachment to bone

 Non keratinized epithelium/slightly keratinized epithelium

 Found in sulcus regions

 Can not withstand forces of mastication that well

Mucosa

 Specialized mucosa
 Tongue
Mucosa

 Ideal features

 Firmly attached

 Keratinized or masticatory type

 Submucosa should conisist of  Resilient

fibrous connective tissues  Good
thickness
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
BEARING STRESS AREAS
Primary stress bearing areas

 Areas having thicker mucosa and/or underlying bone that are generally less
subject to resorption because it is cortical bone.

 Alveolar ridge
 Maxillary tuberosities
 Slopes of the ridge
Secondary stress bearing areas

 Made up of cancellous bone

 More subject to resorption

 Rugae area
MAXILLARY DENTURE
FOUNDATION MAXILLARY DENTURE BEARING AREA
MAXILLARY DENTURE FOUNDATION

 Maxillary denture supporting structures

 Denture limiting structures

Maxillary Denture Supporting
structures
 Residual ridge
 Incisive papilla
 Rugae area
 Mid palatine raphe
 Hard Palate
 Soft Palate
 Tuberosity
 Zygomatic process
 Torus palatinus
Denture limiting structures

 Labial frenum
 Buccal frenum
 Labial vestibule
 Buccal vestibule
 Hamular notch
 Fovae palatinae
 Vibrating lines
Maxillary Denture Supporting
Structures
AN OVERVIEW OF EACH STRUCTURE
RESIDUAL ALVEOLAR RIDGE

 The crest and part of slopes of the residual ridge has

CORTICAL BONE

 Covered by a layer of FIBROUS CONNECTIVE

TISSUE that is FIRMLY ATTACHED

 Thus it is able to support a denture

 As resorption continues…… size diminishes….. So does

support
RESIDUAL ALVEOLAR RIDGE

 SIGNIFICANCE

 Primary stress bearing area  provides support to denture

 Stress may be placed on crest during impression procedures

THE RUGAE AREA

 Consists of a series of ridges on anterior part of the hard palate

 Keratinized fibrous connective tissue

THE RUGAE AREA

 SIGNIFICANCE

 Secondary stress bearing arearesists forward movement of denture

 Should be recorded without pressure in impressions

 If distorted by impression making, it can rebound and unseat the denture.

THE MEDIAN PALATAL RAPHE

 Slightly raised bony ridge along the midline of hard palate

THE MEDIAN PALATAL RAPHE

 SIGNIFICANCE

 RELIEF
AREA
 Reasons
 Thin non resilient mucosa pressure on this part can lead to soreness

 If not relieved it acts as a fulcrum point denture rocking

THE HARD PALATE

 Keratinized epithelium

 Variable soft tissue thickness

 2 parts
 Antero lateral part
 Postero lateral part
THE HARD PALATE

 Antero lateral part

 Submucosa contains adipose tissue
 SIGNIFICANCE
 Part of secondary retentive area

 Postero lateral part

 Glandular region on either side of midline
 SIGNIFICANCE
 Secondary retentive area
 Should be covered for retention but not compressed since it may compromise
function of glands
INCISIVE PAPILLA

 Small tissue projection located immediately behind and

between central incisors in dentate mouth

 Location varies in edentulous mouth

 On top of crest once resorption has taken place

 Covers incisive foramen---- nasopalatine nerves and

vessels
INCISIVE PAPILLA

 SIGNIFICANCE

 Relief area

 In order to avoid pressure on the nasopalatine nerves and vessels

 If not provided paresthesia, pain, burning sensation

ZYGOMATIC PROCESS

 Located buccal to first molar region

 Hard area

 Becomes prominent with resorption

 Covered by thin loosely attached mucosa

ZYGOMATIC PROCESS

 SIGNIFICANCE

 Relief area

 If not relieved soreness

MAXILLARY TUBEROSITY

 Posterior most part of the ridge

 SIGNIFICANCE
 Primary stress bearing area

 Teeth should not be set on the tuberosity area

ANATOMY OF
LIMITING STRUCTURES
TISSUES WHICH DEFINE BOUNDARY OF THE DENTURES ARE
CALLED LIMITING STRUCTURES
VALVE SEAL AREAS

 The limiting structures aid in retention  They

provide an air tight/water tight seal
LABIAL FRENUM

 Fold of mucous membrane at the median line

 No action of its own

Labial Frenum

 SIGNIFICANCE
 Relief area

 Recorded as a narrow notch in the impression known as Labial notch

 If not relieved  irritation or denture dislodgement

BUCCAL FRENUM

 Fold of membrane on the buccal side

 Related to 3 muscles
 Levator anguli oris

 Orbicularis oris pulls it forward

 Buccinator pulls it backward

BUCCAL FRENUM

 SIGNIFICANCE
 RELIEF
AREA

 During impression making the frenum should be manipulated to mimic all

functions/movments

 Recorded as buccal notch in impression

 Failure to record denture dislodgement

LABIAL VESTIBULE

 The sulcus area between the labial and buccal frenum

LABIAL VESTIBULE

 SIGNIFICANCE
 Valve seal

 Accommodate labial flange

 Affects appearance of the patient

BUCCAL VESTIBULE

 Sulcus area between buccal frenum and hamular

notch
BUCCAL VESTIBULE

 SIGNIFICANCE
 Contributes to peripheral seal/valve seal

 Accomodates buccal flange

 This space is affected by

 Action of masseter muscle
 Coronoid process  Buccinator
muscle  Position of mandible
CORONOID PROCESS

 Coronoid process of the mandible is located bucally in

the maxillary tuberosity region

 SIGNIFICANCE
 Affects buccal flange as the mandible moves forward,
sideways or wide opened.

 If distal portion of flange is too thick, the

movement of coronoid will dislodge the
denture.
MASSETER MUSCLE

 Origin: Zygomatic arch

 Insertion: Angle and lateral surface of mandible

SIGNIFICANCE:
 Its heavy contraction reduces the distobuccal vestibule
space

 Denture dislodgement or soreness

HAMULAR
(PTERYGOMAXILLARY) NOTCH
 Located distal to the tuberosity

 A groove or notch at the base of pterygoid hamulus

SIGNIFICANCE

 Marks the posterior limit of the denture

 Forms part of the posterior palatal seal

PTERYGOMANDIBULAR RAPHE

 Extends from hamular notch to the distolingual corner of

the retromolar pad.

 Distal part of buccinator muscle is attached to the raphe

PTERYGOMANDIBULAR RAPHE

 SIGNIFICANCE

 Overextension of denture beyond the hamular notch is not tolerated by the raphe.

 Wide opening pulls the raphe forward leading to tissue injury in case of over
extended denture.
PALATINE FOVEA

 Two small indentations found in posterior part of palate

near the midline

 Joining of several mucous gland ducts

SIGNIFICANCE
 Serve as guide for the location of the posterior border of
the denture.
POSTERIOR PALATAL SEAL

 The seal area at the posterior border of a

maxillary removable dental prosthesis

 It forms part of the peripheral seal/valve seal areas

SIGNIFICANCE
 Additional pressure may be placed here to form a
seal.