Preparation of the denture-bearing area--an essential component of successful complete-denture treatment.

Success in complete-denture treatment is often directly related to the health and condition of the hard and soft tissues that make up the denture-bearing areas. Surgical alteration of the denture-bearing area is frequently necessary to ensure a morphologically correct form capable of providing adequate support for the prosthesis. A number of these anatomic hard and soft tissue obstacles are discussed, and methods for managing these hindrances to complete-denture treatment are suggested.