[An original rehabilitation method for the totally edentulous. 1. Primary impressions]

Primary impressions in full dentures are too frequently considered of lesser importance. The method described in this article gives much credence to the precision of these impressions, the quality of which is largely guaranteed by the final success of the denture construction. Several steps are required: anatomical investigation of the area using a heavy silicone; making of personalized impression (PEP) with correction depending on the area and the clinical observation; primary impressions including impression of the physiological borders with an adapted silicone material; furthermore, pre-estimation of the intermaxillary relationships and recording of the lip line with a material designed for this purpose. Once this stage has been completed, the practitioner already has at his/her disposal particularly valuable information; the primary impressions with borders registration; approximative occlusal relationships; volume of the future denture and the lip line. Now, an individual tray can be made by the dental technician, which will be really adapted to the clinical case.