Clinical evaluation of a one‐piece polyetheretherketone removable partial denture fabricated using a novel digital workflow: A self‐controlled clinical trial

• Published in: Journal of prosthodontics 2024-10, Vol.33 (8), p.757-763
• Main Authors: Yoon, Jung‐min, Liu, Yunsong, Sun, Yuchun, Ye, Hongqiang, Zhou, Yongsheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D imaging; Aged; Benzophenones; CAD‐CAM; Computer-Aided Design; Denture Design; Denture, Partial, Removable; Dentures; dimensional measurement accuracy; Female; Humans; Jaw, Edentulous, Partially - rehabilitation; Ketones; Male; Mastication; Middle Aged; Patient Satisfaction; PEEK; Polyethylene Glycols; Polymers; removable partial denture; Statistical analysis; Workflow
• ISSN: 1059-941X; 1532-849X; 1532-849X
• DOI: 10.1111/jopr.13907

Purpose To explore the clinical application of one‐piece polyetheretherketone (PEEK) removable partial dentures (RPDs) fabricated using a novel digital workflow and to evaluate their weights and fits in vivo and patient satisfaction. Materials and Methods Fifteen cases with posterior partially edentulous situations were selected, and each patient received two types of RPDs, including a novel digital workflow (test group) and a conventional workflow (control group). For the test group, one‐piece RPDs were designed through three‐dimensional (3D) methods by scanning stone casts and fabricated by milling PEEK discs. Each RPD was weighed. The gaps between the oral tissue and RPDs in each group were duplicated using a polyvinylsiloxane (PVS) replica and measured by 3D analysis. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the patient's satisfaction. Paired t‐tests were used to compare the differences in the weight, the gaps of each RPD, and VAS values between the two groups. One‐way analysis of variance tests was used to compare the differences in the gap among different components in each group. Results The RPD in the test group weighed less than that in the control group (p  0.05) were found between the two groups, but the gaps of major connectors in the test group were significantly smaller than in the control group (p  0.05) but the scores for the aesthetic appearance of the clasps in the test group were significantly higher than that in the control group (p