Review article Insertion and follow-up of complete dentures: a literature review Marcelo Coelho Goiato, Humberto Genneri Filho, Daniela Micheline dos Santos, Valentim Adelino Ricardo Bara ˜o and Amilcar Chagas Freitas Ju ´ nior Department of Prosthodontics and Dental Materials, UNESP–Sa ˜ o Paulo State University, Sa ˜o Paulo, Brazil doi: 10.1111/j.1741-2358.2010.00368.x Insertion and follow-up of complete dentures: a literature review Objective: The aim of this study was to present the importance of clinical procedures related to insertion and follow-up of complete dentures in elderly patients. Materials and Methods: The success of rehabilitation with complete dentures results from the accuracy of clinical and laboratorial procedures that makes the denture insertion an important step of treatment. Conclusion: The follow-up and professional maintenance of function and hygiene facilitates long-term efficiency. Keywords: elderly, complete denture, denture insertion, patient follow-up. Accepted 19 October 2009 Introduction Although advances in preventive dentistry have been observed, partial or complete edentulism is found mainly in elderly patients. In addition, despite the success of osseointegrated implants for prosthetic rehabilitation, treatment with conven- tional complete dentures is still common for this group of patients. In the edentulous patients, the denture pros- thesis restores teeth and oral tissues reproducing where possible the original anatomy. The objective of dentures is to rehabilitate the stomatognathic system improving not only masticatory efficiency but also the phonetic and aesthetic appearance of the patients. Therefore, this type of rehabilitation can improve the patients’ quality of life and their social activity. For partial or completely edentulous patients, dental prostheses restoring teeth and oral tissues go some way to reproducing the original anatomy. The main objective of a prosthesis is to rehabilitate the stomatognathic system without aesthetic or phonetic complication. Success depends on accu- rate clinical and laboratory procedures with the insertion of the prosthesis as the culmination of treatment. Furthermore, the follow-up and pro- fessional maintenance evaluating function and hygiene allows long-term efficiency. The aim of this study was to present the clinical procedures related to the insertion and follow-up of complete dentures. Literature review Oral rehabilitation with complete dentures can restore chewing, phonetics, aesthetics, self-esteem and dignity of the patient 1,2 . Several clinical and laboratory procedures are necessary during this process and insertion is considered as a significant step for treatment 1,2 . During treatment, the complete denture is adjusted to the supporting tissues to favour retention, stability and comfort 3 and certain clinical protocols should be considered during this process to assess the accuracy of the procedures. Procedures previous to insertion Before prosthesis insertion, the presence of bubbles or resin excess in any metallic framework should be verified to avoid difficulty of the fit. Irregular surfaces or sharp edges should be removed to avoid lesions forming on the mucosa 4 (Fig. 1). Dental Ó 2010 The Gerodontology Society and John Wiley & Sons A/S, Gerodontology 2011; 28: 197–204 197