A Novel Functional Swallow Method to Establish the Posterior Palatal Seal during the Maxillary Edentulous Final Impression: A Case Report

Abstract

To propose an alternate, r eliable, and easy-to-use functional swallow method for establishing the posterior palatal seal. Accurate r egistration of the posterior palatal seal is crucial to the success of the maxillary complete denture. The conventionally used functional "Ah" technique may not be r eliable at times to record the posterior palatal seal, hence compromising the retention of the maxillary complete denture. Case description and technique: A 70-year-old female patient requiring complete dentures presented with an unusually tense soft palate during the phase of posterior palatal seal development. The soft palate did not relax and remained in a superior position when the "Ah" functional method was used to record the seal. The posterior palatal seal area could not be compressed sufficiently during border molding, preventing the formation of an adequate seal. Hence, a new functional technique was devised to relax and displace the soft palate for developing an effective seal. This case report describes a novel and reliable method of displacing the posterior palatal seal area with a low-fusing compound by utilizing the patient's functional swallow position. The functional swallow method can be used effectively as an alternative and reliable method to obtain a consistent posterior palatal seal. The functional swallow method of developing the posterior palatal seal is simple, less demanding on the clinician, and can save chairside time. It also helps in an easy transfer of the demarcated posterior palatal seal area to the custom tray. The method lets the dentist be in charge of developing the seal rather than relying on the arbitrary cast scrapping by the technician. Also, the seal can be achieved by employing commonly used materials.