Biological guides to the positioning of the artificial teeth in complete dentures.

Setting teeth for complete dentures is traditionally done away from the clinic in the dental laboratory. This has unwittingly given the impression that arranging tooth position is a mechanical process in which the clinician has little say. Many technicians are given few instructions, but a detailed prescription is crucial to the success of the denture. This article describes those considerations the dentist should address in communicating with the laboratory technician. A 'denture space' impression technique is described to assist the dentist in the correct prescription for posterior teeth placement.