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Dentist and patient preferences are often used to select replacement teeth in prosthodontics. Face shape compared with inverted tooth form classifications based on Leon William's work are currently used. Shapes of teeth and faces have been referred to as square, ovoid or tapered, or some combination of these. Six patients, three male and three female, were selected as being classically square, tapered or ovoid in facial form. Three sets of dentures had been made for each patient with tapering, ovoid and square denture teeth. Using a standardized photographic technique, full face views with profiles and close-ups of the teeth were taken. Then from standardized enlarged tracings, key anatomic and derived points were marked, digitized and computer analysed. The face shapes and inverted tooth forms were digitized in the same manner. A comparison of tooth moulds versus the actual denture teeth shows a highly significant difference (P less than 0.001) between set and unset denture teeth. There is also a significant difference (P less than 0.001) between facial form and denture teeth using temporal zygomatic and gonial widths for faces, compared with incisal, contact, and cervical widths for the teeth.

In this study samples made from pigmented porcelain and Silastic 44210 were evaluated for colour stability after accelerated ageing in order to determine the potential of coloured ceramic powders as maxillofacial pigments. These pigments demonstrated good clear colour stability compared with the same pigments which were not incorporated into a porcelain matrix.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in taste sensitivity during aging using four standard taste solutions. The subjects consisted of 50 normal volunteers who were divided into two groups. The younger age group was composed of 27 individuals between the ages of 20 and 30 years. The older group consisted of 23 individuals between the ages of 50 and 77 years. In order to evaluate the anatomic form of the fungiform papillae, close-up photographs taken on the right side of the tongue in all subjects. Then, each subject's taste threshold was measured by placing the four taste solutions on the following structures : fungiform papillae, circumvallate papillae and soft palate. The anatomical forms of the fungiform papillae were significantly different upon comparison of the two groups (p <0.05), and the taste sensitivity of fungiform and circumvallate papillae also showed significant differences (p <0.05).

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