Removable partial denture design: importance of clinical variables.

A study was conducted to ascertain the influence of clinical variables on removable partial denture design. Dentures were first designed using only the information usually available to technicians, namely, surveyed, articulated study casts. These designs were then modified using information available to the dentist, that is, clinical variables. Of the 208 dentures analysed, 80 (39%) needed modification to 171 components because of patient-related variables. This high number of modifications reinforces the position that removable partial denture design should be instigated and guided by the dentist.