Partial dentures 1 new Flashcards
(45 cards)
- What are the main treatment options for missing teeth?
🔹 Resin-Retained Bridge (RBB) 🧲
🔹 Dental Implant 🔩
🔹 Removable Partial Denture (Acrylic or Metal) 🦷
What are the pros and cons of Resin-Retained Bridges (RBBs)?
✅ Pros:
Minimal prep (conservative!) ✂️
Aesthetic 🌟
Quick & comfy 😌
Good for single anterior tooth 💁♀️
❌ Cons:
Only for 1 tooth 🦷
Needs healthy adjacent teeth 💪
May de-bond over time 😬
Dental Implants: Pros and Cons?
✅ Pros:
Gold standard 💛
Prevents bone loss 🦴
Doesn’t rely on other teeth 🙅♂️
Long-lasting 🔁
❌ Cons:
Expensive 💸
Requires surgery 🏥
Needs good bone density 🧱
Can take 3–6 months ⏳
Pros and cons of Removable Dentures?
✅ Pros:
Cheap 💰
Non-invasive 🙌
Easy to adjust 🔧
Great as a temporary fix ⏲️
❌ Cons:
“False teeth” stigma 🙈
Plaque trap 😷
Less stable than fixed 💨
May affect taste/speech 👅🗣️
Why do dentures affect plaque control?
🦠 More plaque due to:
Covered gingiva = less saliva 😶🌫️
Difficult to clean around clasps 🔍
Increased caries & perio risk 😱
Candida risk under full coverage 🍄
What are some UK stats on dentures?
📌 13% of adults wear partial dentures
📌 6% wear complete dentures
📌 6+ million denture wearers in the UK 🇬🇧
📌 Higher rates in lower socio-economic groups 📉
Compare Acrylic vs Cobalt Chrome Dentures
🔴 Acrylic:
✅ Cheap, easy to adjust & add teeth
Covers large SA
🧰
❌ Bulky, weaker, less hygienic 🤢
affects taste
collects plaque
⚪ Cobalt Chrome:
✅ Thin, strong, better hygiene 🌬️
gingival clearance - less palate covered
Retention and support better than acrylic
❌ Expensive, hard to modify 💸🛠️
What is the Kennedy Classification?
Name 4 parts of a Partial Denture
Saddle – replaces teeth - area with no teeth
Support -Rests – provides support
Retention -Clasps – retention 🧷
Major Connector – joins the denture 🤝
(Flange – mimics gum tissue aesthetics 😁)
What’s the difference between Tooth-borne & Mucosa-borne support?
🦷 Tooth-borne = stable, uses teeth 💪
(Transmit forces down the long axis of teeth and prevent clasp arms form over seating and traumatising the gingival tissues)
😮💨 Mucosa-borne = compressible, unstable 😵
(force transmitted to mucosa and underlying alveolar bone)
⚖️ Tooth + mucosa = combo (esp. for free-end saddles) 🤹♀️
3mm from gingival margins
What are the biological and mechanical risks of bad denture design?
🧫 Biological:
Caries
Gingivitis
Periodontal disease
⚙️ Mechanical:
Tooth fracture
Denture breakage
Movement = discomfort 😖
What are the 3 types of acrylic denture designs?
👅 Full Palatal Coverage Denture:
Covers whole palate – max retention 💯
Higher risk of candida 💀
👛 Spoon Denture (Flipper):
Quick, cheap, temp fix ⏱️
Weak, unstable ⚠️
🛠️ Modified Spoon:
Same but with clasps/rests – more stable 🧱
What are the principles of good denture design?
✨ 3mm gingival clearance
✨ Simple design
✨ Rigid design major connector 🛡️
✨ Support spread around arch Distribute forces evenly ⚖️
✨ Avoid food/plaque traps 🍞🦠
What are the 5 stages of making Acrylic Dentures?
Primary impression 📸
Special tray & secondary impression 🖌️
Jaw registration with wax rims 😮
Try-in (check fit/aesthetics) 👁️👁️
Final processing & fit 🏁
What are the 6 stages of making Cobalt Chrome Dentures?
Primary impression & survey 🎯- special tray ,design denture
Tooth mods & 2nd impression ✂️
Metal framework try-in 🧪
Record occlusion 📝
Tooth try-in 👄
Fit stage ✨
What makes a denture more hygienic?
✅ Less gingival coverage
✅ Good design (no food traps)
✅ Metal framework > acrylic 🧼
✅ Encourage patient cleaning habits 💦🪥
What info must you gather before planning a denture?
🦷 Dental history – previous dentures?
🪥 Oral hygiene – plaque/caries risk?
🧼 Medical history – dry mouth? meds?
👅 Soft tissues – tori? flabby ridges?
📸 Study models – occlusion + space
🗣️ Patient expectations – aesthetics, function, feel?
What are the functions of the major connector?
🔗 Joins both sides of the denture
📏 Distributes occlusal forces evenly
🧲 Provides rigidity
🪛 Stabilises the denture
💨 Allows for hygienic design (less tissue coverage)
What are rests and what do they do?
📌 Metal projections that sit in prepared rest seats on teeth!
They:
🔸 Prevent sinking of denture (support)
🔸 Help direct forces onto teeth 💪
🔸 Stabilise against lateral movement
🔸 Keep clasps in position 😎
What is an I-bar clasp?
📍 An I-bar is a gingivally approaching clasp that comes up from below the undercut like a little antenna 📡 and contacts the tooth in an I-shaped vertical arm!
💡Key features:
➖ Approaches from the gum line (gingival direction)
➖ Passively lies against the tooth until dislodging force is applied
🌀 Flexes into the undercut for retention
🧼 Minimal tooth contact = better aesthetics + hygiene
🧱 Often used in the RPI system (Rest, Proximal Plate, I-bar)
🔐 Common on premolars or canines when an undercut is on the buccal/labial
What is an occlusally approaching clasp (aka occlusal bar)?
An occlusally approaching clasp is a direct retainer that comes from the occlusal (chewing) surface of the tooth and moves downward into an undercut on the buccal or lingual side! 😬⬇️
💥 Aka: circumferential clasp, Aker’s clasp, or C-clasp
💡Key Features:
🔹 Comes from the top (occlusal direction)
🔹 Rests on an occlusal rest seat
🔹 Encircles part of the tooth like a hook 🪝
🔹 Engages the undercut on the tooth’s buccal or lingual side
🔹 More rigid and supportive than gingival ones
