title: An 8-year follow-up of removable partial denture treatment performed by the Public Dental Health Service in a Swedish county.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate clasp-retained removable partial dentures (RPDs) made in the Public Dental Health Service (PDHS) in Orebro County in 1989. Records from all 25 PDHS clinics concerning RPDs from 1989 were collected after eight years and available information was registered. The entire material consisted of 447 RPDs (both attachment-retained and clasp-retained RPDs) in 387 patients. Of the 316 clasp-retained RPDs that were traceable, 208 were followed from 1989 to 1997. In most instances, information on diagnoses, alternative treatments and design of the RPDs was lacking. One hundred and thirty-two (42%) of the 316 clasp-retained RPDs were judged to still be in use in 1997 while 75 were not in use. The main reason for ceased use was dislike by the patient. There were 108 clasp-retained RPDs that were not possible to follow from 1989 to 1997 because there were no notes regarding follow-ups in the records. The most common technical complications noted in the records during the observation period were clasp fractures and loosened artificial teeth.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Dental Education Center, Orebro, Sweden. leif.grundstrom@telia.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grundström
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nilner
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Palmqvist
mesh_terms: D016734:Dental Clasps; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D003779:Denture Design; D003834:Denture Precision Attachment; D003823:Denture Rebasing; D003781:Denture Retention; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011636:Public Health Dentistry; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden; D014093:Tooth, Artificial