Current status of the neutral zone: A literature review

Several studies have been published on the neutral zone regarding materials, techniques, and different prostheses; however, the data are incongruent, and a literature review was necessary. This review summarizes the literature on the neutral zone and identifies deficiencies suggesting future research. The English language peer-reviewed dental literature was reviewed from the period January 1, 1900 to June 30, 2011. Articles were searched in Medline (PubMed) and Google scholar for the term “neutral zone” and were supplemented by a hand search in prosthodontic publications. Deficiencies in the literature were found, including materials and techniques for recording the neutral zone, the comparison of different neutral zone dentures, and the effect of the period of edentulism on the neutral zone.