Morphometric characteristics of toothless lower jaw ridge as a bed for total lower jaw prosthesis

Analysis was made of 44 solid casts of toothless lower jaws. Stereophotogrammetry, a measurement procedure in photogrammetry, was used as a method in the measurement of solid casts. Adequate instruments and method of measurement made it possible to objectify anatomical and morphological structures of toothless lower jaws. The anterior width of the ridge in the region of canines was 22.70-35.50 mm. The posterior width in the first molars region was 43.30-59.10 mm, with statistically significant difference between the genders. The width at the level of posterior ridge of mandibular tubercle was 52.10-70.00 mm, with statistically significant difference between the genders. The length of the alveolar ridge between the symphysis and the tangent line of posterior ridge of mandibular tubercle in the medial line was 34.70-49.00 mm, without statistically significant difference between the genders. The surface of the toothless ridge is at the same time the surface of the total lower prosthesis bed. The size of the surface depended on the resorption and relation between the alveolar ridge and the surrounding active structures; it ranged between 103.21-205.50 mm2. The mean value being 145.99 mm2. The values obtained in our study are in approximate accordance with the reference literature data. They are the results of accurate measurements of solid casts.