Acrylic dentures: fill the gap. Part 1. overview, support, retention, reciprocation and bracing

Acrylic partial dentures are the most common type of removable dentures provided in both general and private practice.^1,2 However, there are relatively few published articles that cover acrylic partial denture design.

Denture design is part of the undergraduate curriculum and qualified dentists are presumed to be competent to ‘Assess the need for, design, prescribe and provide biomechanically sound partial and complete dentures’ for their patients.³ While undergraduate training may have provided some basic principles regarding denture design, it is impossible to cover all the possible variations, including number, shape, angulation and distribution of teeth, occlusion, patient preference, soft tissue interference and various other confounding factors.

This variation may be a reason that students find the principles of partial denture design difficult to learn. Often this confusion persists after graduation; it is recognized that dentists in general practice within the UK do not always provide sufficient design specification on their laboratory prescription.^2,4 One explanation is that dentists are not confident in applying their knowledge of denture design principles to their partially dentate patients. Perhaps, because undergraduate courses devote much of their time to teaching design principles for cobalt–chromium-based partial dentures rather than acrylic-based partial dentures.