IMPRESSION TAKING IN COMPLETE EDENTULISM

Complete edentulism is a complex prosthodontic condition in which successful rehabilitation depends greatly on the accuracy of impression taking. The final impression determines the quality of the denture base, the extension of borders, the distribution of functional pressure, retention, stability, and patient comfort. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of different stages of impression taking in completely edentulous patients and to determine the most frequent difficulties observed during primary and final impression procedures. The study included 58 patients with complete edentulism who were examined and treated at the Department of Orthopedic Dentistry and Orthodontics of Andijan State Medical Institute. All patients underwent clinical examination of the prosthetic field, primary anatomical impressions, fabrication of individual trays, border molding, and final functional impressions. The condition of residual alveolar ridges, oral mucosa, vestibular depth, muscle attachments, saliva, and previous denture experience was assessed before impression procedures. The results showed that the most important factors affecting impression quality were residual ridge atrophy, flabby mucosa, shallow vestibule, high muscle attachments, reduced salivary lubrication, and poor neuromuscular coordination. In 39.7 percent of patients, additional correction of tray borders was required during functional border molding. Selective pressure impression technique was clinically useful in patients with uneven tissue resilience and moderate or severe ridge resorption. The study concludes that impression taking in complete edentulism should not be performed as a mechanical procedure only. It must be based on individual anatomical and functional assessment of the prosthetic field. Proper primary impression, accurately fabricated individual tray, careful border molding, and final functional impression significantly improve retention, stability, and comfort of complete dentures.