Method: This was a longitudinal prospective study. Twenty-one patients who needed a maxillary RPD with one or two retentive clasps in the esthetic zone were selected and the RPDs were fabricated using the standard techniques. The retentive arms of the clasps in the esthetic zones were made of heat-polymerized clear Methyl Methacrylate resin, processed simultaneously with the resin base material. The patients were followed for three years, and their degree of satisfaction, as well as the condition of each resin clasp was evaluated every six months.
Result: Four patients showed up for only their first six-month recall. These patients were excluded from the study (19.04%). The mean age of the remaining patients was 58±12. Of the remaining 17 patients, 11 were completely satisfied with the treatment (64.70%), 5 had minor difficulties with the esthetics or retention (29.41%), and one patient was dissatisfied (5.88%). Of the 26 clear acrylic resin clasps, 17 did not need any repair or adjustments (65.38%), 5 needed some increase in retention (19.23%), and 4 needed total replacement of the clasps with auto-polymerizing clear acrylic resin (15.38%).
Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest that the clear acrylic resin clasp is a viable alternative to metallic retentive arms of the RPD and, with proper case selection, it can provide a reasonable longevity and patient satisfaction particularly for the interim restorations prior to future implant-supported prostheses.