Lec.11 Prosthodontics Dr.

Inas Abdul-Sattar

Arrangement of artificial teeth

Is the placement of the teeth on the denture base. After mounting of upper and lower
bite rims on the articulator in proper way, the artificial teeth arranged on the bite rims
in centric occlusion.
Arrangement of teeth should be in harmony with patient’s esthetic, speech &
functions like chewing.
Appearance and function cannot be restored with artificial teeth unless they are
placed in the same position of the natural teeth that were found inside the patient
mouth before their extraction.

Guide lines of teeth setting:

In teeth setting ,there are certain guide lines that should be drawn in the casts to
determine the position of the teeth:
A- On Maxillary cast: we should draw
1- line bisecting the incisive papilla horizontally , this line aids in setting of
upper anterior teeth.
2- midline which is drawn over the median palatine suture and bisecting the
incisive papilla vertically then complete it on the anterior wall of the cast.
3- Canine eminence lines: record these two lines on the lateral walls of the
cast on both sides aid in setting of the six maxillary anterior teeth which
occupy the space between the distal of right canine eminence & the distal of
left canine eminence.
B- On Mandibular cast: we should draw
1- line bisecting the residual ridge anteriorly, aid in setting of lower anterior
teeth.
2- Canine eminence lines.
3- line that bisects the crest of the residual ridge posteriorly from canin area
to retromolar pad on both sides of the cast used as a guid for the buccolingual
position of the mandibular posterior teeth.

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Sequence of artificial teeth arrangements:-there are several methods in sequence
of teeth arrangement
First method: starting with upper anterior because there is a constant relation between
upper centrals and incisive papilla.
Then we set lower anterior, then upper posterior teeth, and then lower posterior teeth.
Second method: start with upper anterior teeth, then upper posterior teeth, then lower
anterior teeth, and finally lower posterior teeth.
Third method: start with upper anterior, then lower anterior, then lower posterior
teeth, and finally the upper posterior teeth.

Arrangement of anterior teeth:

Arrangement of upper anterior teeth:
In setting of teeth we must cut through the bite rim by wax knife a space equal to that
of the tooth, and then seal the tooth in its position by wax.
Upper central incisor (C.I):
*in frontal plane, we should attach the tooth to the record base over the anterior
region of the residual ridge, its incisal edge should be in contact with the occlusal
plane (i.e touching the mounting table), its long axis is perpendicular to the occlusal
plane & some times shows a slight distal inclination, its mesial contact area should
touch the midline of the bite rim
*in sagittal plane, the tooth has a slight labial inclination to give support to the upper
lip, the neck is slightly depressed (the incisal edge is more prominent than the
cervical area of the tooth), and the facial surface of the tooth is nearly perpendicular
to the occlusal plane.
*In horizontal or occlusal plane, the labial surface of the central incisor should be
located at a distance of 6-8 mm from the centre of the incisive papilla.

Frontal plane

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 Sagittal plane

Upper lateral incisor (L.I):

*In frontal plane, it has slightly more distal inclination than the C.I (its long axis
tilted distally about 5-10˚ to the midline). The incisal edge is 0.5-1mm above the
occlusal plane.
*in sagittal plane, it shows slight labial inclination, its neck is depressed more than
the C.I.
*in horizontal plane,it must follow the arch curvature

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Upper canine (C):
*in frontal plane, the tip of canine touches the occlusal plane and the long axis is
almost vertical. It may have a slight distal inclination .The maxillary canine has two
planes on the facial surfaces; the mesial plane should follow the contour of the
anterior teeth while the distal plane follow the contour of the posterior teeth.
*in sagittal plane, is perpendicular to the occlusal plane, the incisal tip of the canine
touches the occlusal plane. Its neck is prominent & supports the corner of patient's the
mouth
*in horizontal plane, This tooth is rotated with arch and represents the transition from
anterior teeth to posterior teeth and represents the corner or turning point of upper
arch.

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 Inclination of the upper anterior teeth

Lower anterior teeth:

*In horizontal plane, All the anterior teeth are placed labially to the residual ridge,
because the fact that the mandibular natural teeth are mostly in labial position to their
root apecies.
Lower central incisor:
*in frontal plane, the midline of lower C.I should be coinside with the midline of
upper C.I , its incisal edge must be above the level of occlusal plane by 1mm . its tip
it slightly labially.
When we close the articulator we should have what we call it over bite or the vertical
overlap
Over bite is the vertical extension of the upper anterior teeth on the lower anterior
teeth when the posterior teeth are in centric occlusion. This overlap depends on
several factors, but generally speaking over bite should be about 1-2 mm.
The other thing in arrangement of the lower anterior teeth is that we should have over
jet which is the extension of the lower anterior teeth beyond the upper anterior teeth,
this amount we call it over jet (2-4mm).
Also we have the incisal guidance angle is the angle formed by a line drawn through
the incisal edges of the maxillary and mandibular incisors and the horizontal plane.
In denture construction, the mandibular incisors should never touch the maxillary
incisor in centric occlusion and incisal guide angle should be kept as low as possible
to enhance free movement of the teeth in protrusive and lateral excursions so that
about 0.5mm over bite & 1-2mm over jet must
be exist to create a low incisal guidance angle.
*in sagittal plane,it has slight labial inclination & its neck is depressed.

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 Vertical overlap Horizontal overlap

Incisal guidance angle

Lower lateral incisor: same as central with slight distal inclination of the neck in
respect to it's long axis.
Lower canine: the long axis is parallel to midline and the neck is more prominent
than the tip, the tip of lower canine will be in the embrasure between upper lateral
incisor and upper canine & its distal slope should be opposed to the mesial slope of
upper canine, it's called normal canine position.

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 The horizontal overlap must be consistent in the anterior region

Arrangement of posterior teeth:

We start our arrangement with maxillary posterior teeth, the mandibular occlusion
rim is removed and a line drawn from the distolingual surface of the canine to bisect
the retromolar pad area and following the main direction of the crest of the ridge, the
line previously made between the cuspid and retromolar pad is transferred to the
occlusal rim with the aid of sharp instrument and a ruler.
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Arrangement of Maxillary posterior teethq:

Maxillary first premolar: The facial surface of the maxillary first premolar must
harmonize with the canine.The long axis of the premolar should be perpendicular to
the occlusal plane and the buccal and lingual cusp tips should touch the occlusal
plane.
its lingual cusp tip should contact the line inscribed on the lower occlusion rim
indicating the crest of the lower residual ridge.

The same thing is done to maxillary second premolar.

Maxillary first molar, the mesio-lingual cusp tip of the 1st molar contacts the
occlusal plane but the buccal cusps tips and the distaolingual cusp tip are elevated
about 0.5mm of the occlusal plane, and the lingual cusps are over the crest of the
mandibular ridge.
The compensatory curve of Wilson and the compensatory curve of Spee begins at the
1st molar.

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*Compensating curve: is the anterio-posterior curvature of the occlusal surface of a
complete denture teeth (in sagittal plane) and the mediolateral curvature in the frontal
plane. The compensating curves are called so because they compensate for that
present in natural dention. Compensating curves may be increased or decreased in an
artificial dentition to help achievement of balanced occlusion.

Compensating curve for curve of Spee is the curvature of the occlusal alignment of
the teeth. It begins at the tip of the lower canine follows the buccal cusps of the
premolars and molars and continues to the anterior border of the mandibular ramus.
Compensating curve for curve of Wilson is the curvature in the frontal plane
through the cusp tips of both the right and left molars.

Maxillary second molar, the compensatory curve is continued by elevating the 2nd
molar above the plane of occlusion.
The 2nd molar is elevated to an even greater degree than the 1st molar, about 15
degrees in the average patient, with a slight curve of Wilson.

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Mandibular posterior teeth arrangement:
In which, their central fossa must coinced or placed over the crest of the lower
residual ridge.

Mandibular first molar: is first tooth set into centric occlusion and checked
carefully. its mesiobuccal cusp tip should engage the embrasure between the
maxillary 1st molar and maxillary 2nd premolar. Check the relationship from the
lingual side. Make sure that the mesiolingual cusp of upper 1st molar engages the
central fossa of the mandibular first molar & mesiobuccal cusp of upper 1st molar
should engage buccal groove of lower 1st molar.

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Mandibular second premolar: its buccal cusp should occlude with the adjacent
marginal ridges of the maxillary 1st and 2nd premolars.

Mandibular first premolar: its buccal cusp should engage the mesial marginal ridge
of the opposing 1st premolar.

Mandibular second molar: make sure that the lingual cusp of the maxillary 2nd
molar properly occludes with the central fossa of the mandibular 2nd molar.

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