Denture Flange
The portion of a denture base that extends from the cervical ends of the teeth to the border of the denture, engaging the vestibular or lingual sulcus.
Full Definition
The denture flange is the vertical extension of the denture base that occupies the vestibular (buccal or labial) or lingual sulcus areas of the oral cavity. Its primary purposes are retention, stability, and support of the prosthesis, as well as providing a peripheral seal. Flanges are described by location (labial, buccal, lingual) and may be absent in specific prosthetic designs such as implant-retained overdentures. Editors should note that 'flange' is a single-word noun and should not be hyphenated or fused with adjacent descriptors into a compound adjective unless modifying a subsequent noun (e.g., 'lingual-flange extension').
Usage
Usage note: Qualify with the anatomical surface (labial, buccal, lingual) in most clinical contexts to avoid ambiguity.
In Context
- "Overextension of the buccal denture flange was identified as the cause of chronic ulceration in the vestibule." — Clinical consultation note
- "The editor corrected 'flange' to 'buccal flange' to eliminate ambiguity about the surface in question." — Manuscript copy-editing note