ADVANCES IN REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURES: INTEGRATION OF
DIGITAL AND CONVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES IN DIFFERENT CLINICAL AND
EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS
Removable Partial Denture; Digital Technology; Dentistry; Dental
Education.
Removable partial dentures (RPDs) remain an essential rehabilitative alternative for
partially edentulous patients, particularly in cases where medical conditions
contraindicate implant-supported rehabilitation. The evolution of digital technologies
has enabled the integration of scanning, planning, additive manufacturing, and milling
workflows, providing new clinical, laboratory, and educational possibilities in RPD
rehabilitation. This thesis, presented in the format of a collection of articles, aimed to
investigate the impact of applying digital technologies in the planning, fabrication, and
teaching of removable partial dentures, with emphasis on accuracy, efficiency, clinical
performance, and academic training. Systematic reviews, laboratory studies, clinical
case reports, and educational research were conducted, ranging from the evaluation of
the accuracy of 3D-printed models to the use of software for the digital identification of
guide planes and retentive áreas by undergraduate students. The results demonstrated
that digital workflows perform comparably to conventional methods in terms of
dimensional accuracy and clinical fit, with advantages in standardization and efficiency
in specific contexts. Furthermore, the analysis of dental students’ perceptions revealed a
greater preference for the digital method, associated with shorter execution time and
clearer visualization of critical planning areas. The clinical reports demonstrated the
feasibility of integrating digital tools for the design and execution of complex RPDs,
including the association with zirconia crowns and rotational path designs. It is
concluded that the integration of digital and conventional techniques broadens the
possibilities of oral rehabilitation, provides benefits to the teaching-learning process,
and contributes to the advancement of clinical practice in prosthodontics.