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Titanium for removable partial dentures (III): 2-year clinical follow-up in an undergraduate programme
A R Au1, S K Lechner, C J Thomas
1Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney, Australia. aau@mail.usyd.edu.au
Journal of Oral Rehabilitation
|December 7, 2000
Summary
Titanium (Ti) removable partial dentures (RPDs) showed comparable success to cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) RPDs over 24 months. Early failures in Ti RPDs highlight the need to consider material rigidity in design.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Dental Prosthetics
- Clinical Dentistry
Background:
- Removable partial dentures (RPDs) are crucial for restoring function and aesthetics.
- Titanium (Ti) and cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) are common materials for RPD frameworks.
- Comparative clinical data on the long-term success of Ti versus Co-Cr RPDs is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the clinical success of titanium (Ti) RPDs with cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) RPDs.
- To evaluate failure incidence and types over a 24-month period.
- To identify design considerations for Ti RPDs based on early performance.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled clinical trial involving 38 RPD patients.
- Patients received either Co-Cr (20) or Ti (18) RPDs.
- Clinical assessments and failure recording over 24 months, with a focus on the first 12 months.
Main Results:
- Fracture of retainers occurred in both metal groups within the first 12 months.
- While some failure types were higher in Ti RPDs early on, no significant differences were found between groups at 12 and 24 months.
- Overall success rates of Ti RPDs were comparable to Co-Cr RPDs after 24 months.
Conclusions:
- Titanium RPDs demonstrate comparable clinical success to cobalt-chromium RPDs over a 24-month period.
- Higher early failure rates in Ti RPDs suggest material rigidity is a critical design factor.
- Further research into optimizing Ti RPD design is warranted to mitigate early failures.