Prosthetic Rehabilitation of a Completely Edentulous Patient With a Severely Resorbed Mandibular Ridge Using Neutral Zone Technique: A Case Report

AbstractRehabilitating patients who are fully edentulous can be extremely difficult due to residual ridge resorption, a chronic, persistent, and irreversible process. Due to decreased denturebearing area, greater tongue activity, and adverse muscle impacts, the mandibular denture is most impacted. For patients with significantly resorbed mandibular ridges, conventional complete dentures frequently fall short in terms of stability and retention, which impairs speech, mastication, and patient satisfaction. The neutral zone technique is a physiological method that determines the ideal location of denture teeth and polished surfaces by balancing the outward forces of the tongue with the inward forces of the lips and cheeks. This case study details the use of the neutral zone approach for prosthetic rehabilitation of a 70-year-old female patient whowas entirely edentulous and had a severely resorbed mandibular ridge. Teeth were arranged within the recorded zone of muscular balance after the neutral zone was functionally recorded using low-fusing impression compound. The final prosthesis demonstrated improved patient comfort, stability, retention, and masticatory efficiency. For difficult edentulous individuals with atrophic mandibular ridges, the neutral zone approach is still a dependable, affordable, and successful treatment option.