Relationship of the maxillary canines to the incisive papilla.

The positioning of denture teeth in a completely edentulous patient is dependent on many factors. Anatomic landmarks are frequently valuable in complete denture fabrication. The topography of the palatal soft tissue in relationship to tooth position in dentate patients may be an aid in the placement of denture teeth. By using casts formed from irreversible hydrocolloid impressions, 50 subjects were examined to determine the orthographic distance from the posterior of the incisive papilla to a line intersecting the distal contact points of the maxillary canines. In 92% of subjects the posterior point of the incisive papilla was approximately 3 mm anterior to the line between the distal points of the canines. Neither gender, age, nor maxillary tooth arch form affected this distance.

Relationship of first primary palatine rugae to the maxillary canines in man.

Fifty dentate maxillary casts, obtained from thirty-four males and sixteen females, were mounted in the three-dimensional co-ordinate system of a contour meter. A transverse line of reference (x-axis) was drawn through the distal contact points of the maxillary canines, at a right angle to the y-axis which passed through the contact points of the maxillary central incisors. Relative to the canine-to-canine baseline, the locations of the lateral borders of the right and left first primary rugae were determined. The rugae were distributed on both the anterior and posterior sides of the baseline, and the anterior and posterior distances from the baseline were on the average about 1 mm. The age of the subjects, ranging from 12 to 52 years, appeared to be unrelated to the frequencies of anteriorly and posteriorly positioned rugae. Right and left first primary rugae, located on the anterior side of the baseline, showed a minute asymmetry in their topography. By contrast, there was topographical symmetry when the rugae were located on the posterior side of the baseline.

Impression boxing and cast pouring.

Boxing impressions with cornstarch and solvite is a reliable and easily mastered technique. It avoids excessive manipulation of impressions which might lead to their distortion. This method is an alternate to those presented by Bolouri and associates and Harris.