A 3-year clinical evaluation of the removable partial dentures attachments

Removable partial dentures are aesthetic alternatives for edentulous patients with good retention and stability. Materials and methods. In this study the evaluated attachments were extra - coronal attachments, retentive ball attachments, telescopic crowns - retained removable partial dentures, bar clip attachments and magnetic retention. The number of the attachments was 217 and the surveying period was 3 years. The oral surveys were carried out by calibrated dentists in the Department of Prosthodontics, Timișoara, România in 2006-2009. The evaluation included the type of the partially edentulous arches, the type and the number of the attachments and the patients satisfaction regarding aesthetics, retention and stability during mastication and speech. Statistical analysis was performed for these evaluations. Each patient has signed and Informed Consent. Results. The most frequently used attachments were the extra-coronal attachments (58,6%), followed by the ball attachments (24,4%), the telescopic crowns (11,05%), the bar clip attachments (4,6%) and finally the magnets (0,18%). The evaluated attachments have advantages and disadvantages in different clinical situation. Conclusions. The mostly used attachments in this study were the extra-coronal attachments because these are easy to use and they fit well to the clinical situation. All the attachments used in this study were well accepted by the patients due to their good aesthetic and retention. Many of the patients included in the study mentioned that the galvanic telescopic crowns are too expensive for them. Also, using magnets involves a delicate technology, that is why our technicians are reserved in using these attachments. Keywords: removable partial dentures, extra-coronal attachments, ball attachments, telescopic crowns, bar clip attachments, magnets