So we’ve reviewed Locator attachments from core concepts to chair-side pick up to replacing new and stronger attachments. Now I’d like to show you a product I’ve just started using that makes my life a bit easier.
One of my most common headaches was the metal housing becoming loose after a few months. The acrylic I had mixed chair-side apparently didn’t fill in around the housing all the time. After repeated chewing and insertion/removal cycles, the housing would pop out of its acrylic home. This is discovered when the patient presents months later noting that the denture doesn’t stay in as well. Upon inspection, either the attachment and housing spin around in the acrylic or the entire attachment/housing complex is missing.
First, if the attachment/housing is still inside, carefully trephine it out using a thin acrylic bur, like so:
Careful… don’t sneeze.
Quick Up by Voco
Now I break out my secret weapon, the Quick Up system (Voco). Its a chair-side acrylic that makes picking up Locator housings much easier and more predictable. I start by relieving more acrylic around the area to ensure that the denture will seat around the Locator housing. Make sure the denture seats nicely without any interferences.
First, we use the Fit Test C & B. This material may also be placed in the acrylic and then seated over the attachment to ensure that there is sufficient room all around. It can also be used to block out undercuts around the attachment. Personally, I just use it for the latter. I syringe the Fit Test C & B around the abutment between the housing and the tissue. You can still use the white collar that come with the Locator kit to block out resin, but this stuff works even better to fill in undercuts.
Fit Test C & B used to block out undercuts.
Next, apply the Quick Up Adhesive to the denture in the area of the housing to be picked up. No need for curing lights, just let it breathe for a minute. I think that this step is largely responsible for my success with this product; we’re getting a bond between acrylics.
A dab will do ya.
Now we syringe The Quick Up material into the acrylic recess. Fill up the area about 2/3 of the way and you’ll minimize excess. Since we’re not mixing acrylic by hand, we’re getting a much more predictable mix of acrylic, which also attributes to the successful retention of the housing.
Squirt in the Quick Up about 2/3 of the way full into the acrylic recess.
You know what to do next: seat the denture and have the patient gently bite down. Let the material self-cure for about three minutes and you’re good to go. Just flake out the Fit Check material and check for any gaps of material. If there are any, you can quickly fill them in with Quick Up LC; a light-cured version of the material that flows into any nooks and crannies.
Done!
You might have also noticed that I didn’t use vent holes. Since the mix of acrylic is more predictable, I can fill up the recess 2/3 of the way and be confident that I won’t have much excess at all. I love not using vent holes because patients HATE them. It is difficult to polish them to seamlessly match the surrounding denture acrylic, so patients can feel them with their tongues and get annoyed.