Nadeem Yunus¹, Roma Goswami², Khurshid Mattoo^3,

Natural dentition consists of teeth that erupt into the oral cavity at different times. From the loss of a single tooth to loss of complete teeth, the position of the teeth keeps changing thus making an oral cavity as a dynamic entity. Loss of teeth in one arch with the concomitant presence of natural teeth in the opposing arch renders biomechanical issues that must be considered while designing the artificial denture. Different combinations of natural teeth and partial edentulous spaces can exist which need individual design considerations. We present a series of four clinical cases in which the maxillary arch was completely edentulous and the mandibular arch contained different Kennedy’s partial edentulous situations. The biomechanics of natural teeth in respect of occlusal plane, axial inclination and type of arch have also been discussed. All cases enable a student to visualize a case scenario and help one to decide why the base metal denture base is indicated in such case. The role of palatal vault form and the need for clinical identification of such forms has also been discussed.

base metal alloy, permanent denture base, partial edentulism, occlusal plane, supraeruption