[Team communication needed in treatment for denture prosthesis. 1) Opinion from dentist's standpoint]

The objectives of using a denture to treat a defect are preservation of remaining tissue and improvement in the functional recovery rate. Close cooperation between dentist and dental technician and a shared understanding of fundamental knowledge and technology, from denture design to production, are indispensable in order to successfully achieve a combination of these objectives. Furthermore, accurate communication from dentist to dental technician of all patient information gained from the preoperative examination and necessary for production of the prosthesis is essential for a successful treatment outcome. This information should be shared by both the dentist and the dental technician. It is extremely important to describe this information appropriately and to append other information as needed in order to convey this information from the dentist to the dental technician by means of a dental technician specification. While this exchange of opinions by means of accompanying materials is of course useful in the denture production process, these materials are also valuable for re-evaluating the design of the prosthesis and handling by the technician in case a problem related to preservation of remaining tissue or improvement in the functional recovery rate arises during a subsequent visit by the patient. It is important for the dentist and the dental technician to consider the following six factors using the same criteria when treating a patient using a removable partial denture: (1) minimization of denture movement, (2) occlusion, (3) reduction of burden on the abutment, (4) consideration of periodontal tissue, (5) consideration of sensation, and (6) aesthetic considerations. To that end, the authors have found clinical application of a "design chart" to be useful.