Flangeless Denture Technique for Management of Prominent Labial Undercuts in Completely Edentulous Patients: A Case...

Completely edentulous patients with a labially inclined premaxilla and deep labial undercuts often present significant challenges during prosthetic rehabilitation, particularly due to excessive lip fullness created by conventional denture flanges. While surgical correction such as alveoloplasty may address the anatomical limitation, many patients decline such procedures due to medical concerns or personal preference. This report describes a noninvasive alternative using a flangeless denture design. A 54-year-old woman presented with chewing difficulty and prominent labial undercuts. Clinical evaluation revealed a U-shaped maxillary ridge with a pronounced premaxilla, leading to compromised denture esthetics and comfort. Given the patient's reluctance to undergo surgery, a flangeless maxillary denture combined with a conventional mandibular denture was planned. The clinical procedure involved blocking out the undercut, fabricating a custom tray, performing border molding, and making the final impression with light-body polyvinyl siloxane. The maxillary denture incorporated a labial window and two retention wings to minimize lip fullness while maintaining stability. Following insertion, the patient reported satisfactory comfort, function, and esthetics, with effective management of the labial undercut and adequate prosthesis retention achieved without surgical intervention. This case demonstrates that the flangeless denture technique is a simple, noninvasive, and cost-effective approach for addressing prominent labial undercuts in edentulous patients, offering improved functional and esthetic outcomes along with greater patient acceptance.