Retention Force of Removable Partial Dentures with CAD-CAM-Fabricated Telescopic Crowns

The aim of this study was to compare the retention forces after artificial aging of telescopic crowns fabricated either by a conventional lost-wax technique or by computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technology. Two types of telescopic crowns (0°) were fabricated conventionally using high-noble (group A) and non-precious metal (group B). CAD-CAM fabricated telescopic crowns (0°) were made of non-precious metal (group C). Retention forces were assessed before and after artificial aging and after axial and non-axial loading. Initially [I.] and after artificial aging [IV.], specimens of group C (I. 16.2 N; IV. 13.6 N) exhibited the highest retention forces. The retention forces in groups B (I. 12.5 N; IV. 4.6 N) and A (I. 9.6 N; IV. 2.9 N) were found to be lower than those of group C. The retention force differences between the groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001) at all measurement times [I. vs. IV.]. Different fabricated telescopic crowns with approximately identical designs and materials exhibited different retention forces and different long-term retentive behavior. An optimized CAD-CAM process with individually defined design parameters ensured telescopic crowns with a better fit. These findings might influence prospective clinical decision-making.