[Correlation between the weight and usefulness of complete lower denture]

The importance of gravity has been known for a long time in prosthetic dentistry. However, few researchers have focused on the measurement of the weight of complete lower dentures or on the possibility of increasing that weight and its effect on stability. Some authors recommend hidden weight increase using a horseshoe-shaped alloy covered by the artificial gum in order to increase the weight of complete lower dentures; others recommend the use of metal molars, heavy acrylic artificial gum, and a baseplate partially or fully made of metal for the same purpose. The authors of the present article have measured 167 complete lower dentures using an assay balance. They compared three sets of complete lower dentures of 24 patients, one of the three being of increased weight in each case. The examination by x2 statistics (four-domain contingency test) of the relationship between the weight and usefulness of complete lower dentures showed that an overwhelming majority of patients preferred the weight-increased dentures.