Clinical study of effects of removable partial dentures on the abutment teeth

Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to clinically evaluate the conditions of abutment teeth 5 to 8 years after placement of clasp-retained removal partial dentures. Methods: Prosthodontic and periodontal data were recorded and reviewed in 63 patients who received the partial dentures between 1995 and 1998 year. Caries and tooth loss were compared between abutment and nonabutment teeth, and compared among four types of Kennedy classification. Results: Abutment teeth (14.59%) were affected with caries nearly twice as often as nonabutment teeth (8.27) (P0.05). Abutment tooth loss (20.17%) was more common than non-abutment tooth loss (7.87%) (P 0.01). Caries and abutment tooth loss were less in the fourth type than in other three types of Kennedy classification, but their differences were not statistically significant (P0.05). Conclusion: Clasp-retained removal partial dentures has unfavourable effects on the abutment teeth.