Roentgen cephalometric analysis of ridge resorption and changes in jaw and occlusal relationships in immediate complete denture wearers.

In eighteen subjects assigned for immediate complete upper and lower dentures, roentgen cephalometric recordings were made before extraction of the residual anterior dentition and 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year after denture insertion. The cephalometric analysis was based on electronic measurements of linear and angular morphological variables and computer head plots generated from 177 reference points (Walker, 1967), derived for each subject for each of the five observation stages. The reduction of the alveolar ridges was most rapid during the first 3 months of denture wear and particularly during the post-extraction period of 3 weeks. The reduction in anterior height of the lower ridge was on average twice as great as that of the upper ridge. The ridge resorption and the accompanying settling of the dentures on the basal seats, measured from lead shots inserted in the dentures, brought about an upward rotation of the mandible with a resulting decrease in occlusal vertical dimension and reduction in overjet of the dentures. In accordance with the amount of ridge reduction, these changes showed great individual variation.