Removable partial denture

[1] RPD may be used when there is a lack of required teeth to serve as support for a bridge (i.e. distal abutments) or financial limitations.

[3] His classification consisted of four general outlines for partially edentulous arches that can present within a patient, which then could be treated with an RPD.

This makes Class III RPDs exceedingly more secure as per the three rules of removable prostheses that will be mentioned later, namely: support, stability and retention.

Class I, II and III RPDs that have multiple edentulous areas in which replacement teeth are being placed are further classified with modification states that were defined by Oliver C.

Thus if, for example, a maxillary arch is missing teeth #1, 3, 7-10 and 16, the RPD would be Kennedy Class III mod 1.

Based on these results, class III has the highest prevalence in younger group of patient (31– 40 years).

[7] Prior to designing partial dentures a complete examination is undertaken to assess the condition of remaining teeth.

Within the design process (and prior to the master impression stage of denture construction), modifications may be suggested to teeth.

The parts of an RPD can be listed as follows (and are exemplified by the picture above): There are many options for major connectors for removable upper partial dentures.

The type of connector used will vary depending on the specific circumstances and the results of a comprehensive examination and discussion with the patient.

Disadvantages of plates are that they overs a lot of patients mouth so sometimes not well tolerated and also may affect phonetics.

Advantages of these are their rigidity and minimal soft tissue coverage yet still having good resistance to deformation.

Disadvantages of these are that they are flexible due to distal extensions which can have adverse effects on force transmission to abutment teeth.

It must be strong and rigid enough to provide a suitable skeleton to the prosthesis and located so as not to damage the gingival or movable tissues.

Five types of major connectors are listed below: A lingual bar has a pear-shaped cross section tapering towards the gingival boundary.

It should be positioned high enough so as to not irritate the lower movable tissue but low enough to allow for a substantial quantity of material to be used to ensure stiffness.

They are contraindicated in patients with a high lingual frenum and in situations where they may interfere with tongue movements.

In rare cases where the inclination of the remaining anterior teeth is problematic and the use of a lingual connector inappropriate, a buccal bar can be considered.

The continuous clasp has the added advantage of providing indirect retention when used in addition to a lingual bar.

Dentures quickly begin to feel ill fitting as the shape of the alveolar ridge changes.