The functional deformation of maxillary complete dentures in patients with flabby alveolar ridges. Part II: After surgery.

Using strain-gauged maxillary complete dentures, the effects of the surgical removal of soft mobile tissue over the maxillary edentulous alveolar ridges--flabby ridges--on the deformation pattern and magnitude of functional strain were studied in five subjects. The results showed that a 20-90% reduction in denture deformation had taken place after surgery. Furthermore, a pre-operative shear-straining pattern of the buccal flanges and the lateral palatal slopes was not evident post-operatively. The results of this study point on the beneficial value of early surgical removal of flabby maxillary alveolar ridges.