There is no doubt that occlusal adjustment is important for restoring oral function by using complete dentures (CD). The Guidelines for Prosthodontic Treatment by Removable Dentures, published by the Japan Prosthodontic Society in 2007, describes the requirements for the arrangement of posterior artificial teeth and points to be checked in occlusal adjustment, but does not explain the specific techniques for occlusal adjustment. In recent years, Japan has become a super-aged society, and it is assumed that the pathology and treatment requirements of CD patients are also changing. In this article, I would like to express my humble opinion about occlusal adjustment for CD, based on 1) the position of artificial teeth arrangement, 2) the occlusal scheme that should be provided, and 3) the concept of balanced occlusion and occlusal balance, with actual clinical cases.

Throughout the long history of complete denture treatment, various impression techniques have been introduced. However, there is still insufficient evidence to determine whether different impression techniques result in varying clinical outcomes, and it is generally believed that the choice of technique is largely influenced by the practitioner’s preference or affiliation. Nonetheless, it is often felt that it is difficult to achieve success in a various cases using only a single impression technique, it is important to select the appropriate technique based on the specific case. In this paper, I aim to organize and explain the various impression techniques that have been introduced so far, and to consider the appropriate clinical indications for each.

Various defects occur after oral surgery; however, their corresponding effects on the maxilla and mandible vary significantly. When the maxilla is resected, it may communicate with the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses (maxillary sinus), and a maxillofacial prosthesis is required to restore its function. Mandibular resection is classified into the marginal, segmental, and hemisection types, and each type has a different impact on the maxillofacial prostheses.

Oral surgery involves not only jaw surgery but also soft tissue resection and soft tissue reconstruction, as typified by tongue cancer; soft tissue resection and soft tissue reconstruction have a significant impact on maxillofacial prostheses. In addition, soft tissue and jaw resection are performed together; similarly, soft tissue and jaw reconstruction are also performed at the same time, which can have a significant impact on the subsequent maxillofacial prosthesis.

As oral surgery can have a significant impact on the maxillofacial prostheses and because various types of defects occur in individual cases, conferences between maxillofacial prosthesis specialists and oral surgeons are important. Although treating diseases, such as tumors, is a top priority, oral surgery, which is advantageous for maxillofacial prosthetics both during and after surgery, is also important, for which discussions should be held at conferences.

This review highlights the importance of collaboration between maxillofacial prosthodontists and oral surgeons in various case studies.

Maxillofacial prosthetics is defined as the restoration of lost function and form by replacing or restoring defects in the face, Maxilla, mandible and surrounding tissues caused by tumors, trauma, inflammation, or congenital deformities with artificial materials, either non-invasively or in combination with reconstruction or implant surgery. In other words, maxillofacial prosthetic treatment aimed at restoring QOL can be achieved not only by prosthetic treatment alone, but also by a team approach in which multiple professions work together as well as various surgical reconstructive treatments and implant surgeries. This article outlines the knowledge necessary for safe and secure maxillofacial prosthetic treatment and describes the prosthetic approach.

Biological and mechanical/technical complications associated with implant treatment have frequently been reported. Countermeasures are undertaken to overcome these mechanical/technical complications by improving the products and developing new materials. In this paper, complications observed after prosthesis have been studied, as to their causes and measures to be taken; (1) fracture or loosening of abutment screws, (2) cleanability of dental implant superstructure, (3) esthetic issues, (4) loss of proximal contacts, (5) fracture of zirconia abutments, and (6) fracture or chipping of veneering ceramic and monolithic zirconia superstructure.

Tongue pressure measurement can be performed not only by dentists but also by dental hygienists. The tongue pressure measuring device itself is small and lightweight, which has the advantage of making it easy to use during home visits. Tongue pressure measurement is one of the easiest and most promising tests for examining oral hypofunction and clarifying the effects of rehabilitation interventions. I would like to inform you that tongue pressure measurement and its results can be put to good use in everyday dental clinical practice, especially before and after prosthetic dental treatment, not only for those with diseases and older people requiring care, but also for healthy older people and those at risk of becoming caregivers.

Patient: The patient was an 80-year-old man who complained of difficulty in eating due to instability of his mandibular denture. He was diagnosed with dysmasesis resulting from instability of complete dentures. In particular, the mandibular residual ridge showed severe resorption. The mandibular residual ridge partially did not have keratinized mucosa. Complete dentures were fabricated using closed-mouth functional impression.

Discussion: In the area with severe residual ridge resorption, it was difficult to determine the denture border by the operator-initiated border molding. The denture border was determined using closed-mouth functional impression which is one of the impression methods using patient-specific movement, and extended to not only attached mucosa membrane but also partially unattached mucous membrane where functional movement is not disturbed.

Conclusion: The use of closed-mouth functional impression in the fabrication of complete dentures was effective in restoring masticatory function in an edentulous patient with severe residual ridge resorption.

Patient: A 68-year-old woman complained of masticatory dysfunction due to poor retention of her maxillary denture for defective jaw. The maxilla was edentulous, the obturator prosthesis was ill-fitting, and the posterior denture border covered the soft palate. The remaining teeth in the mandible were carious. The Ah-line was confirmed by palpation and phonation, and the denture border was determined. An interim denture was fabricated for the mandible, and the final denture was fabricated after treatment of the remaining teeth.

Discussion: Good results were obtained by setting the appropriate denture border of the maxillary denture and sealing the oronasal fistula.

Conclusion: The patient had a good outcome by fabricating a maxillary denture with appropriate denture border and a well-fitting obturator prosthesis.