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Clinical Evaluation of Removable Partial Dentures with Digitally Fabricated Metal Framework

Now online in the Journal of Prosthodontics, an Open Access Case Report on the clinical outcomes of three patients who received removable partial dentures with a completely digitally designed and manufactured metal framework.

Several approaches are available to treat partial edentulism, including removable partial dentures (RPDs), fixed partial dentures, or dental implants. RPDs consist of prosthetic teeth attached to a framework that can be removed and inserted by the patient. The most crucial element of success for partial dentures is the fit of the metal framework because the wrong adaptation to the intraoral tissues will evoke the instability of the denture, unwanted forces to the abutment teeth, and plaque accumulation leading to patient discomfort, dental caries, and gingival diseases.

Several systematic reviews have presented the advantages of fully digitally fabricated partial dentures, however, there is no documented evidence for the long-term outcomes after years of intraoral use.

This clinical report describes the rehabilitation of three partial edentulism cases using dentures where the metal framework was fully digitally designed and manufactured. A partial-denture metal framework for all cases was designed using CAD software. Design files were either exported to a 3D printer, which then created a castable framework from castable resin, or it was milled from a Co–Cr disc.

The quality of fit of the framework was evaluated intraorally to confirm the laboratory design. The acrylic teeth were set, and the definitive partial dentures were delivered after the acrylic resin bases were processed. The follow-up time was 4 years. No complications or failures related to the components of the partial dentures were observed.

Mourouzis, P, Pandoleon, P, Tortopidis, D, Tolidis, K. Clinical evaluation of removable partial dentures with digitally fabricated metal framework after 4 years of clinical service. J Prosthodont. 2023; 1– 7. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopr.13698

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