CASE REPORTS
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Case report: a patient who had not removed her lower denture for 54 years.

BACKGROUND: A 71-year-old female presented with a left submandibular space abscess. This was found to be due to large accumulations of calculus on the lingual flanges of her lower denture ulcerating the floor of the mouth. She had not taken the prosthesis out since it was provided as an immediate denture after extractions 54 years previously. At presentation she could not take her denture out as the calculus locked the denture under lingual undercuts. The denture was sectioned in the midline to remove it and the submandibular abscess was drained via a neck incision.

FINDINGS: Prior to removal the denture was remarkably stable and she had enjoyed a long period of problem free denture wearing and had had exceptional value from it. There was also surprisingly little mandibular alveolar bone resorption.

CONCLUSION: The case demonstrates what may happen if a lower denture is not taken out for over half a century. The calculus on the lingual flanges provided both stability and retention for the denture, and it appeared to have protected the ridge from resorption. While the calculus may have provided some surprising benefits to her lower denture it ultimately led to a serious infection.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app