A technique for using maxillary anterior soft-tissue undercuts in denture placement: a case report

Restoring a large edentulous space in the anterior maxilla presents many challenges, including how to utilize and manage a deep anterior soft tissue undercut. In the case reported here, a partial denture was constructed that incorporated a semi-rigid exterior flange and a soft liner to help the denture to engage the depth of the undercut. The denture was placed after extraction of the anterior teeth, and there was very little postoperative tissue trauma. With this combination of materials, known as "triple lamination", the prosthesis was able to engage the soft-tissue undercut, the undercut was actively involved in retaining the prosthesis, the denture could be placed immediately, and the prosthesis was very comfortable. Triple lamination should be considered when a deep soft-tissue undercut must be engaged to ensure retention of a prosthesis.