Abstract
The restoring, by means of denture prosthodontics, of the dento-facial morphology, which has been deformed as a result of the loss of teeth, is not only effective in recovering the lost functions but is also regarded as one of the important clinical problems yet to be solved. And the author believes that, as the first step in an argument about esthetics, it is essential to grasp, qualitatively, quantitatively and objectively, the changes brought about in the facial contour following the insertion of complete denture.
So, the author, using the moire topography, conducted this study for the purpose of making a comparative study of the changes made in dento-facial morphology after insertion of complete denture and the relationship between the denture and the facial contour.
As a result, some conciliatory action to respond to the changes in the upper lip following the insertion of the maxillary denture was observed in the lower lip, and the effects were found to consist largely of that of the maxillary denture, and the effect of the flanges was considerably larger. Furthermore, the changes in facial contour resulting from insertion of the denture were evident especially in the periphery of the upper lip but not so much in the lower portion. But it was suggested that the changes occurring to the lower jaw played an extremely important role in relation to the entire balance between the upper and the lower portions of the face and that those changes were vastly responsible for the recovery of the facial appearance.
