Prosthodontic Management of Severe Residual Ridge Resorption using Closed-Mouth Impression Technique: A Case Report

Restoring a compromised mandibular ridge involves employing diverse treatment methods. The simplest approach often entails extending the denture base adequately to effectively utilize all available supporting tissues. A critical aspect of achieving this is obtaining a high-quality impression of the resorbed mandibular ridge, capable of capturing the tissue in both static and functional states. Traditionally, the open-mouth impression technique has been widely utilized for fabricating mandibular complete dentures to ensure primary support on the buccal shelf area. Moreover, ensuring the retention and stability of mandibular dentures necessitates consideration of factors such as diagnosis, oral function, denture borders, occlusal plane, teeth arrangement, and patient training. However, in edentulous patients with severe alveolar bone atrophy, achieving retention and stability of a mandibular complete denture can pose challenges. To tackle this issue, some clinicians are exploring the closed-mouth impression technique, prompted by comparative studies examining various impression techniques, including both open-mouth and closed-mouth approaches.

The objective of this case report is to outline the functional impression technique used for a patient with a mandibular ridge that has undergone resorption. Regardless of the chosen treatment method, the ultimate aim is to restore the patient's masticatory function to a satisfactory level. This report suggests that employing the closed-mouth impression technique could enhance the retention and stability of mandibular complete dentures. In this specific case, the treatment of choice is a complete denture utilizing the closed-mouth impression method due to the patient's posterior flat ridge. This approach resulted in a denture that was both retentive and stable, providing comfort to the patient and leading to overall satisfaction.