Implant-Assisted Removable Partial Dentures with Surveyed Crowns: A Narrative Review of Treatment Concepts, Material...

Background: Tooth loss remains a major clinical challenge, affecting mastication, speech, facial aesthetics, and oral health-related quality of life. Prosthetic rehabilitation must therefore balance functional demands, biological limitations, patient preferences, maintenance capacity, and cost. Implant-assisted removable partial dentures (IARPDs) have emerged as a practical alternative to conventional removable partial dentures (RPDs) and full-arch fixed implant prostheses, particularly in distal-extension cases where conventional RPDs often demonstrate greater displacement and unfavorable stress distribution. Objectives: This narrative review summarizes current concepts in IARPDs treatment, with an emphasis on attachment-retained designs and implant-surveyed crown removable partial dentures (ISCRPDs). Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using PubMed and Scopus. English-language articles related to IARPDs, surveyed crowns, attachment systems, material considerations, biomechanics, clinical outcomes, and complications were identified and narratively synthesized. Results: Available evidence suggests that IARPDs provide superior patient-reported outcomes compared with conventional RPDs, largely through improved retention, stability, comfort, and reduced prosthesis movement. Attachment systems offer versatile retention and aesthetic advantages but may require regular maintenance because of component wear and progressive loss of retention. In contrast, surveyed crowns provide a space-efficient and potentially more cost-effective design, with favorable implant survival and prosthetic outcomes reported in retrospective studies. However, complications such as clasp loosening, sore spots, crown dislodgement, and crown or framework fracture remain clinically relevant. Material selection for frameworks and implant crowns further influences aesthetics, durability, hygiene, and long-term maintenance. Conclusions: IARPDs treatment should be individualized according to the available prosthetic space, residual ridge anatomy, implant position, oral hygiene ability, aesthetic expectations, financial limitations, and access to follow-up care. Prospective comparative studies are needed.