title: Prevalence of removable partial dentures users treated at the Aracatuba Dental School-UNESP.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of removable partial dentures (RPD) at the Aracatuba Dental School.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted by analysing 412 clinical history of patients attended at the RPD clinics in the period from 2000 to 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  412 charts were analysed: 148 (35.9%) men and 264 (64.1%) women. The mean age was 53.8 years (men) and 52.4 years (women). A total of 556 dentures were made; of these, 233 (41.90%) were maxillary and 323 (58.09%) were mandibular dentures. The most frequent Kennedy classification found was Class III (maxilla) and Class I (mandible). In the maxilla, 55% (126) of the major connectors were of the anterior-posterior palatal bar, while in the mandible, 64% (202) were the lingual bar. As regards the claps, 401 were circumferential and 318 were bar claps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean age of the patients was 52.9 years with higher prevalence of female patients; the most frequent Kennedy's classification was Class I in mandible and Class III in maxilla; the most common major connector was anterior-posterior palatal bar for maxilla and lingual bar for mandible; the circumferential clasps were the most common retainer used in both jaws.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Materials and Prosthodontics, Araçatuba Dental School, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araçatuba, SP, Brazil. ed.pl@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Eduardo P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Pellizzer
authors.forename: Daniel Augusto de Faria
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Rosse M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Falcón-Antenucci
authors.forename: Daniela Mayumi I K
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Paulo Renato J
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Zuim
authors.forename: Fellippo R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Verri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil; D016734:Dental Clasps / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003740:Dental Clinics; D003779:Denture Design; D003781:Denture Retention / Q000295:instrumentation; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000145:classification / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012575:Schools, Dental