Relationship of the maxillary canines to the incisive papilla

The positioning of denture teeth in a completely edentulous patient is dependent on many factors. Anatomic landmarks are frequently valuable in complete denture fabrication. The topography of the palatal soft tissue in relationship to tooth position in dentate patients may be an aid in the placement of denture teeth. By using casts formed from irreversible hydrocolloid impressions, 50 subjects were examined to determine the orthographic distance from the posterior of the incisive papilla to a line intersecting the distal contact points of the maxillary canines. In 92% of subjects the posterior point of the incisive papilla was approximately 3 mm anterior to the line between the distal points of the canines. Neither gender, age, nor maxillary tooth arch form affected this distance.