THERMOPLASTIC RESIN REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURE PREFERRED OVER CONVENTIONAL METAL CLASP RETAINED REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURE – A RANDOMIZED STUDY TRIAL.

Yash Desai*, Parmeet Banga, Saba Supariwala, Samruddhi Kadakia

ABSTRACT

Aim: Conventional RPD‘s, implant-supported FPD‘s and FPD‘s are better treatment modalities for aesthetic and functional recuperation of partially edentulous patients. When removable cast partial dentures are used as a definitive treatment as indicated, but where the patient‘s major concern is aesthetics, as the location of clasp may be placed in the anterior section of the dental arch in such cases flexible thermoplastic resin removable partial denture‘s (TR-RPD‘s) is aesthetically preferred superior to metal clasp removable partial dentures (MC-RPD‘s). This randomized study trial aims at comparing patient comfort with thermoplastic resin RPD‘s and metal clasp retained RPD‘s. Method: Thirty (30) partially edentulous subjects were randomly selected and enrolled with MC-RPD‘s followed by the same 30 subjects with TR-RPD‘s (n=15, each group). The subjects were asked to grade based on patient comfort and the removable partial denture-related parameters after the delivery of the denture. The subjects were also asked to choose the preferred treatment modality at the end of the study trail. Results: Out of 30 subjects 26 (86%, mean age, 65.3years) completed the trial. It was seen that overall scores and ratings with TR-RPD‘s were significantly higher than those with MC-RPD‘s (P < 0.05) regarding patient comfort and aesthetic appearance. Moreover 75% (20/26) and 83% (22/26) of the subjects claimed better overall comfort and oral appearance with TR-RPD‘s than with MC-RPD‘s (P < 0.001, both). Score grading for properties like the pain associated with mucosa and food impaction were reported better with TR-RPD‘s as compared to that of MC-RPD‘s (P < 0.05). Pronunciation of words, speech and overall patient satisfaction was also relatively better with TR-RPD‘s as compared to MC-RPD‘s. Although the differences were not evident (P > 0.05). Grades regarding mastication, stability for the denture and the ease in the cleansing activity of the denture were almost similar in both types of dentures. Conclusion: As soon as the completion of the randomized study trial, the results suggested that TR-RPD‘s ushered an advantage over MC-RPD‘s concerning patient comfort and oral appearance in partially edentulous arches.

Keywords: Thermoplastic resin removable partial denture (TR-RPD), metal clasp removable partial denture(MC-RPD), patient comfort, oral appearance.