A Technique to Fabricate a New Crown to an Existing Removable Partial Denture

Fabricating a crown for a tooth that serves as an abutment for an existing removable partial denture (RPD) provides a restorative challenge. Typically, the compromised tooth requiring an extra-coronal restoration is initially restored. It is followed by the construction of a new RPD that accurately fits the restored abutment. An increasingly common scenario is that the existing RPD is deemed clinically acceptable and, therefore, does not require replacing. This results in the clinical dilemma of fabricating a crown for an abutment tooth, while also considering how the contours of this restoration will fit with the RPD's clasps and rests. This can be achieved through the use of various techniques subdivided into indirect, direct and combined indirect-direct. This article describes an indirect-direct technique used in conjunction with the functionally generated path technique to achieve accurately a stable record of the patient's occlusion in the fabrication of a new crown to an existing RPD.