ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT DENTURE BASE MATERIALS ON RETENTION, STABILITY AND PATIENT COMFORT IN REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURES: A PROSPECTIVE CLINICAL STUDY
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Keywords
Removable partial denture, denture base materials, polymethyl methacrylate, flexible thermoplastic resin, cobalt-chromium, retention, stability, patient comfort, partial edentulism
Abstract
Background: Removable partial dentures had remained an important treatment option for patients with partial edentulism, particularly when fixed or implant-supported prostheses had not been feasible. The type of denture base material had influenced the retention, stability, durability, and comfort of removable partial dentures. Conventional polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) acrylic resin had been widely used, whereas flexible thermoplastic and cobalt-chromium-based materials had offered alternative clinical characteristics. Comparative clinical assessment of these materials had been important for selecting an appropriate denture base according to patient requirements.
Aim: The study had aimed to assess and compare the effects of different denture base materials on retention, stability, and patient comfort among individuals receiving removable partial dentures.
Methods: A prospective clinical study had been conducted at Mayo Hospital, Lahore, from September 2025 to February 2026. A total of 90 partially edentulous patients requiring removable partial dentures had been included. The participants had been divided into three equal groups of 30 according to the denture base material used: conventional PMMA acrylic resin, flexible thermoplastic resin, and cobalt-chromium alloy. Retention and stability had been assessed clinically using standardized clinical criteria, while patient comfort had been evaluated using a structured patient-reported questionnaire. Assessments had been performed after denture insertion and during follow-up visits. The collected data had been analyzed statistically, and a p-value of <0.05 had been considered statistically significant.
Results: The cobalt-chromium group had demonstrated the highest overall retention and stability scores, followed by the flexible thermoplastic group and the conventional PMMA group. Good retention had been observed in 86.7% of patients in the cobalt-chromium group, compared with 76.7% in the flexible thermoplastic group and 66.7% in the PMMA group. Similarly, good stability had been recorded in 83.3%, 73.3%, and 63.3% of patients, respectively. Patient comfort had been reported as good by 80.0% of participants in the flexible thermoplastic group, compared with 73.3% in the cobalt-chromium group and 60.0% in the PMMA group. The differences in retention and stability among the groups had been statistically significant (p<0.05), while patient comfort had also differed significantly between the materials (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The study had concluded that denture base material had significantly influenced the clinical performance of removable partial dentures. Cobalt-chromium bases had provided superior retention and stability, whereas flexible thermoplastic bases had been associated with better patient-reported comfort. Material selection had therefore needed to be based on both mechanical performance and individual patient comfort and functional requirements.
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