Fabrication of a removable partial denture combining conventional and digital techniques

Area of Science:

• Dental prosthetics
• Digital dentistry
• Materials science

Background:

• Removable partial dentures (RPDs) are crucial for restoring function and aesthetics.
• Traditional RPD fabrication can be labor-intensive and prone to inaccuracies.
• Advancements in digital technologies offer potential for improved RPD manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a hybrid workflow integrating conventional and digital techniques for RPD fabrication.
• To evaluate the accuracy of RPDs fabricated using this combined method.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of achieving design fidelity in RPD manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• Dental cast and RPD framework were scanned for digital data acquisition.
• Computer-aided design (CAD) software was used to design artificial teeth and denture base regions.
• A hybrid milling and conventional processing technique was employed, involving wax and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) disk milling, followed by resin injection molding.

Main Results:

• The combined workflow successfully fabricated removable partial dentures.
• Artificial teeth and denture base were milled as a single unit for initial design.
• The final RPDs accurately replicated the designed form, demonstrating high fabrication fidelity.

Conclusions:

• A combined conventional and digital workflow offers a precise method for fabricating removable partial dentures.
• This technique ensures the final prosthesis matches the digital design specifications.
• The hybrid approach enhances the accuracy and efficiency of RPD manufacturing.