KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY MEDICAL JOURNAL

Esthetics in Removable Partial Denture - A Review

Shah R, Aras M

Department Prosthodontics

Goa Dental College and Hospital

ABSTRACT
Bambolim, Goa- India
Removable partial denture is a repulsive modality of treatment that we still must
rely upon for certain cases and is a part of the practice. But these patients expect
Corresponding Author
it to look as esthetic as any other contemporary modality of treatment. This article
thus focuses on the esthetic aspects that a clinician must place emphasis upon
Ronak Shah during the designing and fabrication of prosthesis to provide the desirable outcome.
Department Prosthodontics

Goa Dental College and Hospital KEY WORDS

Bambolim, Goa, India Clasps, connectors, designing of RPD, esthetics, flanges

Email: rmshah1in@yahoo.co.in

Citation

Shah R, Aras M. Esthetics in Removable Partial Denture

- A Review. Kathmandu Univ Med J 2013;44(4):344-348.

INTRODUCTION
Denture esthetics as defined by Glossary of prosthodontics as far as the patient`s realistic expectations are concerned.
terms is the effect produced by the prosthesis that affects The various phases of providing an esthetic removable
the beauty and attractiveness of the person. When partial denture will include the following: diagnosis
planning treatment for partially edentulous patients, both and treatment planning, surveying, mouth preparation,
masticatory function and esthetics should be taken into framework design, prosthetic teeth and denture base resin
consideration. An esthetic prosthesis will improve patient and flanges.
motivation and acceptance. It is very unrealistic to assume
Diagnosis And Treatment Planning
that because acceptable masticatory capability has been
achieved, patients will tolerate a poor appearance of the Esthetic considerations and assessment should begin with
prosthesis.1 the entry of the patient into the dental office. A good
clinician should have excellent observation and listening
Recently, Implants have gained the attention over
skills so that he/she can interpret them well and arrive at
removable prosthesis as a treatment option in partially
an accurate diagnosis.
edentulous conditions too. However sometimes financial,
anatomic, psychological, or medical considerations of Decisions regarding types of retaining components,
the patients still require the dentist to treat them with thickness of flange, placement of artificial teeth, etc. must
removable prosthesis. be made with the final esthetic result in mind at this stage.
Factors like undercuts, diastemas, reduced ridge space
This article focuses on the esthetic considerations during
should also be paid attention to. The length and mobility
various phases of removable partial denture planning and
of the patient`s lips are also important. Patients with short
fabrication that should be kept in mind by the clinician and
lips or highly mobile lips pose problems as esthetics are
can aid him/her in achieving an excellent esthetic outcome

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compromised because most clasp arms, denture borders Mouth Prepartion

and other components will show when the patient smiles
After surveying of the diagnostic cast and formulating
or speaks.
appropriate treatment plan, the next important step is
Various factors including the attitude of patient, his mouth preparation.
perception of esthetics and the status he/she holds in the
Alignments of the proximal tooth surfaces in anterior
society must be kept in mind while planning a removable
edentulous spaces often lack parallelism, are bell shaped,
prosthesis. Quite often, a patient who is dissatisfied with
tipped, or rotated and may be marked for recontour with
the esthetic appeal of his prosthesis complains of inability
the dental surveyor.4 The height of contour of proximal
to wear it although it is functionally good. A good esthetic
tooth surface, that are to be used as the guiding planes may
result thus can motivate the patient to wear his new
be lowered to permit the rigid portions of the clasp to be
denture.
placed closer to the gingival margin of the tooth, resulting
The patient`s cosmetic index also can provide valuable in a clasp design that is considerably less visible.
information and thus should be evaluated to know patient`s
Surgical reduction of the frenum attached close to the
expectations towards the final results.
ridge should be carried out to control the depth of notches
Surveying in the denture flange to improve fit and esthetics of the
prosthesis. So the clinician should wisely plan out all
It is essential to determine a path of insertion or
mouth preparations needed before heading for the further
dislodgment that is well consistent with the esthetic
procedure.
requirements. The dental surveyor is the fundamental
instrument of RPD design and treatment planning and Designing of RPD
hence its use will optimize the desired esthetics of the final
Designing for an RPD should be such that all its components
prosthesis. Surveying permits the location of clasp arms
are as inconspicuous as possible to further enhance
and arrangement of prosthetic artificial teeth to derive
esthetics. Extra-coronal direct retainers are not pleasing
maximum esthetics.
for patients concerned about esthetics. Clasps are the
Esthetic consideration does not ordinarily justify the only components which are placed on visible surfaces
alteration of the path of insertion at the expense of of the teeth. Following are the esthetic alternatives to
other fundamental factors. But, whenever given a choice conventional clasps to eliminate visible display of metal
between two paths of insertion with all other factors and improve esthetics.
remaining unaffected, the path of insertion that enhances
Equipoise system: It is an esthetic retentive concept for
the esthetic outcome should be given a preference. In cases
distal extension situations. Rests are placed away from
of anterior tooth replacement, esthetics must be given a
edentulous span. Vertical interproximal reduction of 1mm
primary consideration, even at the expense of altering the
between abutment and adjacent tooth is carried out. It is
path of placement and making all other factors conform.2
a lingual back action clasp that is fully reciprocated and
To obtain optimum esthetics-firstly the metallic components extremely esthetic with no facial clasp display.5 (Fig2)
must be concealed as much as possible by ensuring that the
retentive clasp arm is placed in the gingival third of a clinical
crown. And secondly, the artificial anterior teeth should
be placed in the most natural position possible. Often
large undercuts are present, adjacent to teeth bordering
the anterior edentulous span. They can be eliminated
or decreased in size by altering the tilt of the cast or by
selective grinding of the proximal surfaces.3(Fig 1)

Figure 2. Equipoise clasp design.

Spring clasp/ twin clasp: It consists of a wire clasp soldered

into a channel that is cast in the major connector. As this
clasp is flexible, it does not generate as much torque when
the distal extension denture base is under occlusal load.
The ability to adjust this clasp and its conventional path of
insertion provides an excellent design option for retention
to an adjacent edentulous segment.6 (Fig3)

Figure 1. Making the Undercut Favourable for Retention. Saddle lock clasp: Also called as Hidden clasp. It uses the
more pronounced mesial/ distal concave surfaces of the

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Figure 3. Twin Flex Clasp Design.

Figure 6. Metal Free Clasps. (E.g. DurAcetal clasps, ClearFrame
abutment adjacent to the denture saddle. Clasp terminals Clasps)
are positioned at each end of the denture saddle, effectively
Rests
locking the segment onto the ridge.7 (Fig 4)
Use of inconspicuous rests further improves the esthetics
of the removable partial denture. The clinician should try
to restore the anatomy of the tooth as it existed before the
rest seat preparation and minute anatomical observations
should be inculcated in the framework design.
The cingulum or lingual rest provides the best combination
of function and esthetics. They are more acceptable than
incisal rests because they can be hidden from view, create
less leverage on the abutment teeth by loading at a more
apical level and are less bothersome to the tongue.9,10 In
Figure 4. Saddle Lock Clasp Design. cases where incisal rests are to be used, the patient should
be made very well aware of its esthetic impact. Occlusal
Round-rest distal depression clasp: A round-rest, distal rests on posterior teeth are quite inconspicuous and hence
depression clasp is suggested as an esthetic alternative to poses no major problem. Occlusal surface of a rest should
a conventional clasp for maxillary anterior teeth serving as be concave rather than convex so that its shape follows the
abutments for a removable partial denture. A lingual round normal occlusal contour of the abutment tooth.11 (Fig 7)
rest provides support for the prosthesis, and a mesiolingual
reciprocating plate is present. A split minor connector
engages a distal depression for retention. The facial surface
of the abutment displays no metal and provides an esthetic
result.8 (Fig5)

Figure 7. Types of Rests.

Major Connector
An appropriate major connector design also aids in esthetic
RPD especially in the mandibular arch when there are
abnormally large interproximal spaces present between
the teeth. The lingual bar is a suitable major connector in
the presence of diastemas, but only if the distance from
free gingival margin to the floor of the mouth permits its
Figure 5. Round Rest Distal Depression Clasp Design. use. In cases where the distance is insufficient, interrupted
linguoplate major connector (with step back design) should
Metal free clasps: The metal free materials available
be used in the presence of diastemas to avoid the display
currently eg. Acetyl resin, flexible thermoplastic materials
of metal. (Fig 8)
are ideal for flexibility and esthetics, thus allowing esthetic
functional care in true sense. These may be combined Minor Connector
with metal framework to provide esthetics. Masking of
Proper location and contour of minor connectors can
clasps with resins/composites by macro/micromechanical
contribute to the appearance of the removable partial
retention is another way of improving esthetics. (Fig 6)
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because a slight change in the translucency and colour of

the shade guide and complete denture teeth is not easily
discernible either to the dentist or the patient while fixed
prosthodontics offers the advantage of custom staining
of porcelain teeth to the harmony of the adjacent natural
teeth.
Shade selection for the posterior teeth presents an
additional challenge to overcome. No manufacturer
provides the dental office with a posterior shade guide;
moreover the majority of posterior acrylic resin teeth are
Figure 8. Step back design in case of spacing. not being manufactured with the gingival and occlusal
blending as is done for the anterior teeth. The easiest way
denture as well. Minor connectors should be kept thin out of this dilemma for the dentist is to make a custom
mesiodistally to avoid interference with placement of the posterior shade guide.19
prosthetic teeth, adapted closely to the clasp to maximize
Denture Base Resin And Flanges
esthetics and should be placed as far lingually as possible to
minimize the show of metal in the finished prosthesis.12,13 The component quite often overlooked in the RPD design
is the denture base portion of a partial denture. The
Prosthetic Teeth
labial flange is a significant part, most important when
The prosthetic teeth are an important component of the restoring missing anterior teeth. This decision whether or
removable partial denture from a stand point of esthetics, not to incorporate it into the denture should be evaluated
function and phonetics.14 Matching the anterior denture carefully. When considerable bone loss is evident, it is
teeth with natural teeth requires proper attention to shade wise to incorporate a labial flange to restore the lost tissue
control, characterization and contours of the denture teeth contour and at the same time acquire proper lip support
to harmonize them with the natural teeth and correct thereby also avoiding the placement of teeth more palatally
denture teeth positioning.15 The patient`s natural teeth or to contact the ridge.
current/old prosthesis acts as a valuable guide for selection
Flange design: Anterior flanges ideally should extend to
and arrangement of teeth in the new prosthesis.
the reflection of the mucosa in the labial sulcus to avoid
Anterior edentulous spaces usually become smaller than the horizontal edge of the flange being visible. Since the
the combined widths of the natural teeth being replaced.16 flange should replace the lost alveolar tissue, it should
Esthetics in such case may be accommodated - by making be no thicker than is necessary. The lateral border of the
the prosthetic teeth slightly smaller or by grinding the flange can be extended onto the adjacent root eminence,
adjoining natural teeth to create additional space or by tapering the flange at that point almost to a knife`s edge.
subtle rotation of prosthetic tooth contacts to the facial The thin resin is almost transparent and allows the color
or lingual.17 It is also essential to evaluate the patient`s of the mucosa to show through. In addition, the coverage
smile line and the amount of tooth-papilla display during of the papilla immediately mesial to the abutment tooth
a smile in order to determine the tooth mold selection and avoids the dark shadow often created by a vertical edge of
positioning. a flange in this region.20
Gingival configuration is another important factor that
should be kept in mind while fabricating the prosthesis. CONCLUSION
The location and contour of the gingival margins created
on the denture teeth and length of interdental papillae In the current scenario the removable partial denture not
should carefully match those of the adjacent natural only aims towards the restoration of function and phonetics
teeth. McGivney et al suggested that prosthetic teeth be but should also have special emphasis on esthetics with
uncovered fully to expose the entire anatomic crown and long term benefits which requires meticulous attention
beyond when gingival recession is to be simulated, using during fabrication. This article discusses several simple tips
adjacent or contralateral tooth gingival relationship as a and techniques for providing a highly esthetic removable
guide.18 partial denture that a clinician can use and prescribe it to
the laboratory while designing and fabricating it.
Further, shade selection plays a vital role in the esthetic
enhancement of the prosthesis. The dental clinic should
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