Removable Partial Denture Outcomes in an Academic Dental Setting

Background: Removable Partial Dentures (RPDs) offer a cost-effective solution for replacing missing teeth, as they tend to be less expensive than other options. This study aims to determine the actual failure rate of RPDs through thorough manual chart reviews of RPD cases. Outcomes of Removable Partial Dentures (RPDs) can be dependent on various factors also, including the patient’s age, socioeconomic status and the chronic conditions of oral and overall health. Methods: We extracted data from the EHR on 200 RPD cases delivered at the University of Michigan Dental School clinic from January 2019 to December 2019 and from January 2021 to December 2021. We first generated reports from electronic health records to identify failure rates. Then, we performed a manual review of the charts to verify the data. The 200 cases were under procedure code D5213 (maxillary metal framework RPD) and D5214 (mandibular metal framework RPD). The primary focus of our evaluation was to identify instances of retreatment or failure within 2 years, more than 5 adjustments within two years (which we also defined as a failure) or patient-reported dissatisfaction with the prosthesis. Results: Electronic Health Record reports at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry indicate a 0.32% failure rate for Removable Partial Dentures (RPD) in 2019 and 0.60% in 2021. However, manual chart reviews revealed a different picture: In 2019, 9.0% of RPD patients were retreated; in 2021, 12.0% required retreatment. Failure rates for RPDs with codes D5213 (maxillary RPD) and D5214 (mandibular RPD) were 11.36% and 7.14% in 2019, respectively and increased to 17.07% and 8.47% in 2021. Conclusion: Our study revealed higher Removable Partial Dentures (RPD)failure rates than the electronic health record reports. Our findings have important implications for curriculum and faculty training and highlight the need for precise documentation to align EHR reports with hand-search findings.