🪛 A support plate 🦷 A denture base 🦠 A virus connector

baseplate

7.7

A thin wax or plastic plate dentists use to hold fake teeth and record jaw position

noun
/ˈbeɪsˌpleɪt/

Specialized

: base de dentadura

A wax baseplate is often used to record the position of the jaws before making dentures.

Examples

Technicians use a baseplate as a foundation when constructing artificial teeth in the lab.
A baseplate is essential for accurate jaw positioning.
The dentist carefully adjusted the baseplate to ensure a comfortable fit for the patient.
The dentist used a baseplate to create the denture.
The dentist carefully adjusted the baseplate to ensure a comfortable fit for the patient.
A wax baseplate is often used to record the position of the jaws before making dentures.
Technicians use a baseplate as a foundation when constructing artificial teeth in the lab.

Surface Forms

baseplate singular

baseplates plural

Morphology

baseplate = base + plate (transparent) = base + plate

In dentistry the item is literally a 'plate' that serves as a base for artificial teeth, so the compound's meaning is directly inferable from its parts.

Etymology

Baseplate comes from the parts base ('foundation') and plate ('flat piece'). Think of a small flat foundation for new teeth, so a dental baseplate is a temporary plate that supports artificial teeth and helps record jaw position.