Newsletter 86
Pete the Architect
Hi there,
I hope you’re doing really well.
Firstly, thank you so much for reading these newsletters and for all of the kind messages, encouragement and support. It genuinely means a huge amount to me. This newsletter now goes out to 4,463 colleagues around the world, which honestly blows my mind a little. I would absolutely love to grow this even further though, so please do share it with friends and colleagues if you feel the content is helpful. Let’s keep spreading the message that great removable prosthodontics still matters enormously and can completely change people’s lives.
I’ll also be sending this twice to make it a little more convenient globally for colleagues in different time zones.
This latest newsletter features Pete the Architect, a detailed upper and lower Scandinavian-style metal-based removable partial denture case. Pete (57 years old) was a lovely word-of-mouth referral from another patient I had previously treated. He came to see me because he smoked and was worried about the long-term predictability of dental implants in his situation. He specifically wanted a removable solution instead — something comfortable, stable, biologically kind and future-proof.
It turned into a really rewarding case and I absolutely loved treating him. He applied himself brilliantly to adapting to the dentures, improving his oral hygiene and controlling his caries risk.
Throughout the newsletter I share lots of practical clinical tips that can immediately improve the quality of your removable partial dentures. In particular:
- Composite undercuts
- Composite rest seats
- Guide surfaces
- Scandinavian RPD principles
- Future-proof denture design
- Biologically kind removable prosthodontics
- Reducing reviews and adjustments
- Improving long-term comfort and function
One particularly interesting aspect of the case was that Rowan (my fantastic Dental Technician) was unfortunately ill during much of the treatment. The dentures were beautifully made by Sam Hesketh (SJH Prosthetics), with the cobalt chromium frameworks produced by Sam's dad, Chris Hesketh. They both did a fantastic job and I am hugely grateful for their help.
Another important learning point is that I still use alginate impressions for my cobalt chromium frameworks. Despite the frameworks also being sent through the post and being cast 3 - 4 days later, they fitted beautifully with essentially no adjustment required. Technique, support, design and communication with the laboratory are everything.
Another really important step that I show throughout this case is the use of DuraLay or GC Pattern Resin try-ins. These are incredibly useful rehearsal tools that allow the patient to start feeling the shape, thickness and contour of the proposed denture very early in the process. They also allow me to check the accuracy of the fit and confirm that the casts are correct before proceeding further.
Importantly, they allow me to show patients exactly where metal and clasp tips may be visible. In Pete’s case, for example, there was a visible clasp tip which we could discuss openly before the final denture was made. They are also extremely useful for checking the occlusion and ensuring everything is functioning accurately before committing to the definitive metalwork.
Interestingly, there is often resistance from dental technicians to making these resin rehearsal stages, which I still find surprising because they are such a powerful and practical clinical communication tool for both the clinician and the patient.
The smoking was not something we could fully solve — but this is real life. Many patients are not perfect. Our job is to help people as best we can with practical, comfortable, biologically healthy solutions that improve quality of life.
The Scandinavian removable partial denture book I'm writing with Dr John Besford is also coming along really well now and is probably around 90% complete. I’m absolutely loving writing it with my mentor and great friend John. The book is packed with practical “how-to” guidance, real-world solutions and lots and lots of clinical cases.
if you would like to learn how to make Scandinavian-style removable partial dentures that patients love wearing — stable, aesthetic, biologically kind dentures that can also be highly profitable to provide — I would love to see you on my next two-day in-person Removable Partial Denture Course with a real patient demonstration on October 15th–16th 2026. £2770 per person.
One of the really lovely aspects of the Scandinavian removable partial denture course is that dentists, specialists, clinical dental technicians and dental technicians literally come from all over the world to attend. I genuinely mean that. Over the past few years delegates have travelled from the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Taiwan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Scandinavia, the Czech Republic, France, Italy and many other countries. It has become a wonderful international community of people who still believe that really high-quality removable prosthodontics matters and can genuinely change patients’ lives.
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Finally, my Finlay’s F***ups — Denture Disasters and How I Fix Them seminar is coming to:
- London, Barbican Centre — Sunday 7 June
- Birmingham, Austin Court — Sunday 13 September
Real cases.
Real problems.
Real-world solutions.
Practical ideas you can use on Monday morning.
£358.80 inc. VAT per person ( places still available)
Finlay's F***ups
What will you get from the day?
This is not a polished “perfect cases” lecture.
It’s a full day based around real-world removable prosthodontics — the difficult situations, the failures, the frustrations, the lessons learned, and the practical things that genuinely make a difference in clinic.
The aim is simple:
to help clinicians feel calmer, more confident, and more predictable with dentures.
Whether you are newly qualified, early in your career, or have been practising for decades, the principles discussed throughout the day are designed to help you avoid problems, improve outcomes, and enjoy removable prosthodontics more.
Throughout the day we will discuss:
• Loose lower complete dentures
• Difficult lower ridges and poor support tissues
• Partial dentures that do not work properly
• Implant overdenture complications
• Fractured overdentures, bars and attachments
• Failed implant cases and what to do next
• Bruxists and destructive patients
• Cases that became stressful or unpredictable
• Difficult patient management and communication
• Managing expectations from the beginning
• Recognising cases you may be better not treating
• How to avoid getting trapped in “remake cycles”
We will also cover:
• Better denture design principles
• Scandinavian removable partial denture design
• Tooth positioning and aesthetics
• How to improve impressions and bite records
• Communication with dental technicians
• Practical workflows that simplify treatment
• Ways to make dentures more natural-looking and biologically healthy
• How to create more predictable outcomes
• What actually matters most clinically — and what often does not
The day is built around real clinical cases with honest discussion about:
• what went wrong
• why it happened
• what I learned
• and what I would now do differently
This is not intended to be theoretical or overcomplicated.
The emphasis throughout is on practical solutions you can genuinely use on Monday morning.
My hope is that people leave the course:
• more confident
• less stressed
• better able to manage difficult situations
• and perhaps even enjoying dentures a little more than they did before.
Honestly, I think the course represents amazing value. Difficult denture cases and problem situations can cost clinicians many thousands of pounds — financially, emotionally, and in stress. If some of the ideas discussed throughout the day help people avoid even one major problem case in the future, the course will more than pay for itself.
London — Sunday 7 June 2026
Birmingham — Sunday 13 September 2026
Course fee: £358.80 inc. VAT per person
Real cases. Real problems. Real solutions.
In House Courses
These are small, personalised clinical courses that I run here in practice with Rowan working alongside me in the laboratory next door.
People travel to Garstang from all over the world to attend them, and we are very much set up for international delegates. Over the years we have welcomed clinicians and technicians from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Japan, India, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, across Europe, and many other countries besides.
The courses are very different from large lecture-style meetings. The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly, practical, and highly interactive. We keep the delegate numbers deliberately low so that people can genuinely see what is happening, ask questions throughout the day, and properly understand each step of treatment.
The courses are built around real patients, real workflows, and real removable prosthodontics — not idealised textbook dentistry.
A huge amount of practical information is shared throughout the sessions:
• complete dentures
• removable partial dentures
• immediate dentures
• implant overdentures
• tooth positioning
• impression techniques
• occlusion
• Scandinavian partial denture design
• aesthetics
• laboratory communication
• workflow simplification
• patient management
• and the emotional side of denture treatment
The emphasis throughout is on practical solutions and understanding the thinking behind the treatment — not simply following recipes blindly.
One of the major advantages of the courses is that Rowan and I work side-by-side clinically and technically every day. Delegates therefore gain insight into both the clinical and laboratory aspects of treatment simultaneously, which many people find transformational in helping them understand removable prosthodontics properly.
People often comment that the courses completely change how they see dentures and removable prosthodontics. Many delegates tell me they leave feeling:
• more enthusiastic
• more confident
• less stressed
• and far clearer about how to approach difficult cases
The courses are expensive, and intentionally so. They reflect the enormous amount of experience, preparation, photography, documentation, teaching, clinical exposure, and honest sharing that goes into them. I hold absolutely nothing back — clinically or emotionally — because my genuine aim is to help people improve and avoid years of frustration and costly mistakes.
Honestly, I think these courses can significantly accelerate a clinician’s understanding of removable prosthodontics. Difficult denture cases can cost many thousands of pounds, huge amounts of stress, and endless emotional energy. If attendees apply even a portion of the ideas discussed throughout the courses, it can profoundly improve both patient outcomes and professional enjoyment.
My hope is simple:
to help clinicians and technicians make natural-looking, comfortable dentures that genuinely improve patients’ lives — whilst also helping people rediscover enthusiasm for removable prosthodontics.
