Occlusal changes in complete dentures processed by pack-and-press and injection-pressing techniques.

Area of Science:

• Dental Prosthodontics
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Denture fabrication techniques significantly influence the dimensional stability and occlusal accuracy of the final prosthesis.
• Maintaining accurate maxillomandibular relations and occlusal contacts is crucial for denture function and patient satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the dimensional stability of complete dentures fabricated using the pack-and-press technique versus the injection-pressing technique.
• To evaluate the impact of each processing method on occlusal contact loss and incisal pin opening.

Main Methods:

• Ten pairs of stone casts were mounted in an articulator.
• Trial dentures were processed using either the pack-and-press (GI) or injection-pressing (GII) technique.
• Intermaxillary contacts and incisal pin-table contact were measured before and after processing.

Main Results:

• The pack-and-press technique (GI) showed an average occlusal contact loss of 37.85% and an incisal pin opening of 1.3mm.
• The injection-pressing technique (GII) demonstrated significantly lower average contact loss (20.8%) and no incisal pin opening (0mm).
• Statistical analysis (Mann-Whitney's test) confirmed significant differences between the groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• The injection-pressing technique offers superior dimensional stability in complete denture fabrication compared to the pack-and-press method.
• Reduced occlusal contact loss and minimal incisal pin opening indicate better preservation of the maxillomandibular relationship with the injection-pressing technique.