Fabrication of a surgical stent for bilateral tuberosity and mandibular alveolar reduction.

A technique for constructing a single surgical stent to direct bilateral preprosthetic maxillary tuberosity reductions and mandibular alveolectomies is presented. The stent is fabricated using unaltered articulated definitive casts. The stent allows the oral surgeon to replicate the desired vertical dimension of occlusion for a thorough assessment of the sufficiency of the surgical revisions. The situation illustrated is unique, in that preoperatively, the patient's maxillary tuberosities were situated inferior and medial to their ipsilateral retromolar pads.