Mouth preparations for partial dentures

Abstract

The success or failure of a partial denture may well depend upon how well the preliminary steps were accomplished. These are: (1) diagnosis and treatment planning, utilizing to the fullest the dentist's own reservoir of knowledge and experience, the roentgenogram, the vitalometer, and the use of accurate study casts; (2) education of the patient through the use of study casts and x-ray view ☐; (3) intelligent survey of each partially edentulous arch, both before mouth preparation and after; and (4) carefully planned and executed mouth preparations, utilizing cast restorations wherever indicated, again with full use of the surveyor properly to contour wax patterns that will serve best to support and retain the finished appliance. It is only through intelligent planning and competent execution of the many steps in the construction of a partial denture, in conjunction with the intelligent and informed cooperation of the patient in the maintenance of the appliance and the supporting teeth, that the partial denture can serve as more than a prelude to full mouth extractions, and become a respected device for the restoration of lost dental functions and the preservation of the remaining oral tissues.