No clear evidence on the clinical performance of different removable prosthetic options in partially edentulous patients.

Data sourcesMedline/PubMed, Embase, BIOSIS/Ovid, SciSearch/DIMDI, Cochrane library, FIZ Technik Web and hand searches of the journals; Clinical Oral Investigations, International Journal of Prosthodontics, Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Deutsche Zahnärztliche Zeitschrift, Swiss Dental Journal, Journal of Dentistry and the Journal of Dental Research.Study selectionRandomised controlled trials, prospective and retrospective studies on survival rates of removable dental prostheses in the moderately reduced dentition with at least 15 participants having an observation period of at least two years, and a dropout rate of less than 25% were considered.Data extraction and synthesisTwo reviewers abstracted data. A qualitative summary of the included studies was carried out. Studies providing data that permitted a Kaplan-Meier analysis were included in meta-analysis.ResultsThe review included 19 studies, six of which were in multiple publications. Cast-metal framework dentures showed failure rates of 33% and 50% after five years. One study with a 25-year observation period reported failure rates of 50%. Proper pretreatment and a good recall scheme improve the results. Bilateral attachment prostheses showed failure rates of 11% and 30% after five years. Unilateral attachment prostheses showed failure rates of 75% after five years. Double-crown prostheses dentures show failure rates of 0% to 21.7% after three to six years.ConclusionsWithin the limitations of this study, it seems that removable partial dentures, (RPD), given suitable pretreatment and follow-up regimes, can provide a satisfactory treatment option. Based on only one paper, they revealed acceptable results even over a very long observation period (25 years).