Abstract: Dental impression trays, full, quadrant and anterior, shaped to closely conform to either the maxillary or mandibular ridges for either dentulous or edentulous cases have sections which anatomically approximate surrounding tissue areas with peripheral border relief for muscle attachments and contiguous tissue areas. The trays are formed of an acrylic having a glass transition temperature slightly above body temperature so that they may be heated above their softening temperature exteriorly of the oral cavity, positioned over the oral area of which an impression is to be made, and then manually molded to approximate intimate conformity to the desired oral structures before they harden. A pleat formed in the central vault of a maxillary tray accommodates transverse adjustment. When the tray cools and hardens it is removed, allowing a custom final impression to be thus formed in a single procedure.

Abstract: A prosthetic preform comprised of a hard base into which are molded the posterior prosthetic teeth, with the anterior prosthetic teeth being mounted in a waxy material contained in a cavity or cavities disposed in the hard base. The preform is further provided with a formable deflectable layer secured to the hard base structure and adapted to be fit to the general contours of the wearer's mouth with an impression material used to line the tissue surface of the deflectable layer to obtain an impression of the intimate detail of the edentulous tissue. The anterior teeth may thus be adjusted in position during fitting and/or anatomical features carved. A mold is made of the anterior teeth and exposed waxy material after fitting which allows casting the fitted anterior teeth in hard base material to the remainder of the hard base structure.

Abstract: A complete denture is disclosed for both maxillary and mandibular prostheses of the type having a hard base structure formed of acrylic plastic into which prosthetic teeth are set, the hard base structure fused to a deflectable tray layer of thermo plastic material which is deflectable when warm to adapt the denture to the general contours of the maxillary or mandibular ridges, a subsequent coating of autopolymerizing acrylic plastic being applied to the tray providing precise fitting of the denture to the oral contours of the wearer and stabilizing the soft deflectable tray in its newly achieved configuration.