Base Plate

A base plate is a provisional, rigid plate—often made from acrylic resin or similar materials—that fits over the edentulous (toothless) area of the mouth to provide a stable reference surface. It acts as a record base to support wax rims and temporary tooth arrangements, helping clinicians assess how the denture will sit relative to the gums and surrounding tissues.

Clinically, a base plate is used to record vertical dimension and centric relation, to check aesthetics and phonetics with a wax rim or trial teeth, and to transfer these records accurately to the dental laboratory. It is not the finished denture but an essential step in denture construction and some prosthetic workflows, allowing adjustments before the final prosthesis is manufactured.