Oral-health implications and maintenance needs of Removable Partial Dentures (RPDs) worn during pre-prosthetic treatment

Patients undergoing a variety of pre-prosthetic treatment regimens are commonly provided with a removable partial denture (RPD) to preserve or restore function and esthetics during this interim period. The service duration of such an interim RPD is usually limited by its inexpensive fabrication, and prolonged coverage of the abutment teeth by the denture base and clasp structures can give rise to periodontal and carious lesions. We therefore conducted a study to analyze the oral-health implications and maintenance requirements based on clinical documentation available for 575 interim RPDs covering a mean observation period of 31.21±22.02 (3−158) months.