Neutral Zone Technique: Patient with a Severely Atrophic Mandibular Ridge

Abstract

One of the leading issues faced by prosthodontists today is making a prosthesis for a severely resorbed residual ridge. Ridge resorption is a multi-factorial process that is both irreversible and progressive. This condition causes a decrease in the occlusal vertical dimension, sulcular depth and an overall decrease in the lower facial height. To counter this issue, the neutral zone technique is used to construct a removable prosthesis. The aim is to strike a perfect balance between the forces of the lip, cheek, and buccal mucosa. The area where all these forces cancel out is called the neutral zone. Tooth placement is done in this region to achieve optimum stability of the prosthesis to aid in the lack of retention because of the resorbed residual ridge.