A study of partial denture designs produced by an alumni group of dentists in health service practice

Seventy-three dental surgeons working in general dental practice, all members of an alumni group, were given identical casts and produced designs for a mandibular partial denture. The designs were subsequently analysed and the dentists' skills in communicating their design intentions to technicians were also assessed. In this instance a preference for simple straightforward designs was demonstrated with a tendency to favour stereotype responses to detailed design challenges, which were not necessarily apposite. More recent graduates produced designs which were more likely to be understood by the technician.