Removable Partial Dentures with Polyetheretherketone Framework: The Influence on Residual Ridge Stability

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Edentulous residual ridge resorption is a common challenge in prosthodontics.
• Digital workflows offer potential for improved fabrication of removable partial dentures (RPD).
• Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a promising biomaterial for RPD frameworks due to its properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare 1-year dimensional changes in edentulous residual ridges between patients wearing digitally fabricated PEEK RPDs and untreated controls.
• To evaluate the efficacy of PEEK RPDs in preserving residual ridge height and dimensions.

Main Methods:

• A clinical case-control study involving 10 patients with PEEK RPDs and 6 controls.
• Intraoral scans at baseline and 1-year follow-up were analyzed using metrology software.
• Residual ridge height changes (C0-C1 distance) and mean 3D distances were measured and statistically compared.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences in residual ridge height changes were observed between the PEEK RPD group (-0.39 ± 0.52 mm) and the control group (-0.52 ± 0.54 mm).
• Mean 3D distances at denture-bearing areas also showed no significant difference between groups (-0.3 ± 0.46 mm vs. -0.4 ± 0.35 mm).
• Confounding variables like follow-up time and alignment accuracy were comparable between groups.

Conclusions:

• This 1-year clinical study indicates no short-term adverse effects on edentulous residual ridge dimensions for patients wearing digitally fabricated PEEK RPDs compared to controls.
• The findings suggest that PEEK RPDs, fabricated via digital workflows, do not exacerbate bone resorption in the short term.