Removable Partial Dentures: Right for More Patients Than You Might Think

Removable Partial Dentures: Excellent Treatment Modality

The Removable Partial Denture is often called a lost art, as this is one of the most technically demanding prosthesis to create.  iData research predicts that the demand for this restoration is going to increase 6.8% CAGR in 2019 and 2020.  By comparison, the demand for single unit crowns is expected to grow 0.2% CAGR during the same time period.

Simply, as our population grows older and the baby boomers age, more and more people are partially edentulous. 

Many of these individuals are candidates for dental implants to replace their missing teeth.  However, some of these individuals are not candidates for dental implants due to inadequate bone, economic limitations, and sometimes a lack of desire for bone augmentation and implant placement.

Traditional clasp retained partial dentures are an excellent treatment modality.  Ideally partial dentures are used in combination with a precision attachments, which  provides superior esthetics by hiding the retaining elements and protects the abutment tooth with resilient function.

There are five classifications of partial denture attachments:

1. Class 1.  Rigid Connectors.  This is a tooth supported, rigid, non-moving restoration, often characterized by terminal, or bound abutments.  An example is a Kennedy Class 3.
2. Class 2.  Hinge Connectors. This may utilize a DSE hinge to protect the abutment teeth when the free end saddle area is tissue supported, like a Kennedy, the hinge directs stress directly to the supportive bone and tissue of the edentulous ridge.
3. Class 3.  Vertical Directed Movement.  This utilizes a precision attachment that provides vertical movement.  The occlusal load is more equally distributed over the supportive bone and tissue.  This decreases the more distal intensity of a Class 2 load and clinically reduces or the excessive distal resorption.
4. Class 4.  Vertical and Hinge.  This is a combination of class 2 and class 3 free vertical or tissue directed movement.  This is best supported by a ridge with both a good support and stabilizing area.
5. Class 5.  Omniplanar, or movement in all planes.  This selection provides the most abutment protective movement, not requiring sagittal parallelism.

The following precision attachments to be used in combination with partial dentures are available from PREAT:

1. American Mini.  Class 3 Resilient semi-precision attachment.  Dalbo Mini/Swiss Minia.
a. 3mm tall, male 2.5mm ø, Female 3.5mm ø
2. Ceka Revax.  Class 5 omniplanar Precision Resilient attachment.
a. M2 (small): 3.80mm tall, 3.40mm Øb.     
b. M3 (standard): 4.35mm tall, 4.40mm Ø
3. DSE Hinge, Class 2 Hinge attachment
4. IC Attachment.  Class 1 Rigid connector.  Hannes Anchor.
a. Male: 5.2mm length, 2mm Ø, 1mm nose.
b. Female: 2mm Ø, 0.8mm deep
5. Mays Unilateral.  Class 3 Resilient.
a. 3mm tall, 2mm Ø
6. ASC 52.  Class 5 Omniplanar movement.
a. Mini: 3.15mm tall, 3.15mm Ø
b. Standard: 3.40mm tall, 3.40mm Ø
7. Sagix.  Class 4 attachment.  VKS-SG, OT Strategy, Allegro.
a. 1.7mm ball: 3.10mm tall, 3.10mm Ø
b. 2.2mm ball: 4.10mm tall, 4.20mm Ø
8. Vertix.  Class 4 attachment. 
a. 6mm (may be reduced to 3mm) tall, 3.3mm Ø
9. O-Ring.  Class 5 attachment.
a. 5.2mm (may be reduced to 2.5mm) tall, 2.00mm Ø

For more information or for technical support contact PREAT Corporation at 1-800-232-7732 or their website at www.PREAT.com to Live Chat with one of their technicians.