ANATOMICAL

LANDMARKS MANDIBLE

Mandible is the movable member of the

stomatognathic system. The total area of
support from the mandible is less than from the
maxilla.
Available denture bearing area is 14sqmm. The
bony foundation for the mandibular denture
become shorter vertically and narrower
buccolingualy
Less bony support
Bony crest narrower and sharper

Supporting structures
Crest of the residual ridge
Buccal flange area
External oblique ridge
Mylohyoid line
Mental foramen area
Torus mandibularis

Crest of the residual ridge

Is covered by fibrous connective tissue
But underlying bone is thin and cancellous
containing nutrient canals so is a releif
area
It has spongy bone in the molar region

Buccal flange and buccal shelf

Is a primary stress
bearing area
Is an area between the
buccal frenum and edge
of masseter
Boundaries
Medially- crest of the
ridge
Ant-buccal frenum
Lat- external oblique line
Distal retro molar pad

It is a wide area and at right angles to vertical

forces and is covered with smooth cortical bone.
Inferior part of the buccinator is attached in the
buccal shelf thus contraction does not lift the
lower denture.
Muscle fibers run antero posteriorly paralleling
the bone. The tray come to direct contact with
mucosa of buccal shelf and soft tissue is slightly
displaced as the final impression is made

The external oblique lineis a ridge of dense bone extending from

the mental foramen and become
continuous with the anterior border of the
ramus of the mandible. In most individuals
it is the anatomic guide for the lateral
termination of the buccal flange of the
lower denture

The mental foramen

Is located on the lateral surface of the
body of the mandible between the first and
second premolars, about half way from the
alveolar crest and the lower border. If the
resorption is greater it occupies a superior
position and the denture base must be
relived over the foramen

The mylohyoid line

Is an irregular rough bony
crest extending from the
third molar region to the
lower border of the
mandible in the region of
the chin. It is more
prominent in the third
molar region to the 2nd
premolar region. The
lingual flange must
extend inferior to and not
lateral to the mylohyoid
line

The lingual tuberosity

Is an irregular bony prominence on the
distal end of the mylohyoid line
The mental spine is situated on the lingual
aspect of the mandibular body

Torus mandibularis
Is a bony prominence found near the I &II
premolar between the soft tissue and the
floor of the mouth
Covered by extremely thin mucous
membrane may be irritated with slight
movement.
It may be removed surgically without
breaking the border seal

Limiting structures
Labial frenum
Labial vestibule
Buccal frenum
Buccal vestibule
Masseter muscle region
Distal extension of mandibular impression
Retromolar region
Mylohyoid muscles and ridge
sublingual gland region
Lingual frenum and lingual notch
Lingual vestibule

Labial frenum
Contains a band of fibrous connective
tissue that is attached to the orbicularis
oris
Sensitive and active
It is accommodated by a groove on the
mandibular denture

Labial vestibule
Is the area extending from the labial
frenum to the buccal frenum.
The denture should not be extended
beyond the mucolabial fold as it is limited
by the fibers of the orbicularis oris and the
incivious labi inferioris which is fairly close
to the ridge
Tone of the lip depends on the thickness
of the flange and position of teeth

Recording labial and buccal flanges

The labial frenum is molded by moving the
lip outward, upward and inward.

Buccal frenum
Overlies the depressor anguli oris
Connected to the buccal frenum in maxilla as a
continuous band through the modiolus at the
corner of the mouth
Clearance must be achieved in the denture base
to avoid displacement of the denture
The fibrous and muscular tissues pull actively
across the denture borders
Denture must be extended less in this region

Buccal vestibule
Extends from the buccal frenum posteriorly to
the outside back corner of the retromolar pad
and from the crest of the ridge
Overlies buccal shelf and ex oblique line
Buccinator attached to oblique ridge
Buccinators action occurs in horizontal direction
so it cannot lift the denture
Buccinator extends from modiolus to the
pterygomandibular raphae

Recording the buccal frenum

The buccal frenum is recorded by moving
cheek outward, upward backward and
forward.
To record the disto buccal sulcus the
cheek should be well retracted and moved
upward and inward.

Masseter muscle region

The distobuccal border of the mandibular
denture must converge rapidly to avoid
displacement by the contracting pressure of the
masseter muscle.
Masseter muscle runs at right angles to the
buccinator
When masseter contracts it pushes the
buccinator and tissues inward against the
denture and alters the size and shape of the
distobuccal end of the lower buccal vestibule
reducing the space in that region (dislodging
force

Masseter muscle pushes the buccinator towards

the retromolar pad. The denture base must be
contoured to accommodate this massetric notch.
One can register the masseter pull on the
impression by softening the compound with an
alcohol flame along the disto buccal border
tempering in warm water
After seating in the impression in patients mouth
exert downward pressure by placing the index
fingers on the impression in the 2nd premolar
region and instructing the patient to exert a
closing force. these opposing forces will cause the
masseter to contract and trim the compound in
that area recording the masseteric notch

Distal extension of the mandibular

impression
Limited by the ramus of mandible
By buccinator fibers
By sharpness of bony boundaries of
retromolar fossa
If the impression is extended on to ramus
the buccinator will be compressed
between the hard denture border and
sharp external oblique ridge

Retromolar region and pad

Is a triangular pear
shaped soft pad of tissue
in the distal end of the
mandibular ridge
It must be covered by the
denture for the perfect
border seal. Aids in the
stability of the denture by
adding another plane to
resist the movement of
the base

Contents
Some glandular tissue
Fibers of temporalis tendon
From buccal side- buccinator
From lingual side- superior pharyngeal
constrictor
Supero posterior inside cornerpterygomandibular raphe
These structures prevent the placement of extra
pressure during the impression procedure

Retromolar papilla
Is a small pear shaped area anterior to the
pad
Is a dense fibrous connective tissue
Retro molar pad should be registered in a
resting position in the final impression

Recording the retromolar pad

To record the distal end of the try the
patient is asked to open the mouth wide. If
notch is produced in the posteromedial
end of the try it indicates that the tray is
over extended up to the
pterygomandibular raphe

Sublingual gland region

Rest above the mylohyoid muscle. When
the floor of the muscle is raised the gland
come close to the crest of the ridge and
reduces the vertical space available for
the flange extension in the anterior part of
the mouth

Lingual frenum& lingual notch

Extremely resistant and active and wide
Should be registered in function
In function it come close to the ridge
At rest it is much lower
Overlies the genioglossus muscle

Lingual vestibule
Occupies the alveolingual sulcus
Distal end extend to the retromylohyoid curtain
Anteriorly influenced by mylohyoid
Flange extend below the mylohyoid ridge to occupy the
alveolo lingual sulcus.
Flange leaves the bony attachment at the mylohyoid
ridge and slopes inward under the tongue to fill the
alveololingual sulcus
Thus there is a space between the flange and mucous
membrane when the muscle is relaxed and there is
contact when the tongue is raised and thrust out

Recording the lingual frenum

The anterior lingual border is molded by
asking the patient to protrude his tongue
to touch the anterior part of palate.
Protrusion records the length of lingual
flange
Touching the anterior part of hard palate
helps to establish the width of the flange.

Mylohyoid muscle & ridge

Mylohyoid muscle arise from the whole length of
the mylohyoid line extending from about 1 cm
back of the distal end of the mylohyoid ridge to
the lingual anterior portion of the mandible at the
symphysis
This ridge is near the inferior border in the incisal
region but become progressively higher on the
posterior border, so posterior part affect the
lingual impression in swallowing and tongue
movements

The lingual flange should extend inferior but

not lateral to the mylohyoid line.
The movement of tongue and displacability of
the floor of the mouth will determine the
length of the flange. If the flange is properly
shaped it will complete the lingual border seal
in the retromylohyoid fossa and guide the
tongue on top of the flange

Recording the mylohyoid

Protrusion of the tongue record the
movement of the mylohyoid muscle. This
raises the floor of the mouth. The lingual
flange recorded will be lingually sloping nd
parallel to the direction of the mylohyoid
muscle. Increse in the thicknes odf the
posterior part otf the lingual flange can
interfere with the action of the mylohyoid
muscle.

While border molding the distal end of the lingual

flange the action of the mylohyoid curtain should
be recorded. The superior constrictor and the
medial pterygoid determine the position of he
retromylohyoid curtain
Superior constrictor- by protruding the tongue
Medial pterygoid- by asking the patient to
forcefully close against resistance