Restoration of Partial Dentulism with Overlay Partial Denture in Bruxist Patient with Oral Sub mucous Fibrosis (OSF) – A Clinical report

Objectives: Restoration of a partially dentate patient with severely resorbed distal free-end residual alveolar ridges and a history of oral sub-mucous fibrosis with severe dental attrition.
Methods: A 44 year-old diabetic male patient, requesting replacement of missing teeth as he faces difficulty in chewing was found to have Oral Submucous Fibrosis consistent with past history of betel nut use and smoking, leading to limited mouth opening of 30 mm. The challenge in restoring the occlusion was further increased as no loss of freeway space was encountered due to dento-alveolar compensation. After stabilizing the patient’s periodontal health, and removal of non-restorable teeth, the mandibular arch was restored with Kennedy’s class II mod 1 acrylic removable partial denture (RPD) opposing an acrylic overlay-RPD having acrylic overlying the incisal edges of remaining anterior teeth of the Kennedy’s class I maxillary arch.
Results: The patient is successfully rehabilitated with an overlay acrylic removable partial denture. He continues to follow-up in clinic for review with occasional chipped off acrylic of the overlay, which is repaired at chairside. Furthermore, replacement of acrylic partial denture with cast partial denture having porcelain overlay has been planned for and offered to the patient.
Conclusions: Overlay removable partial denture (O-RPD) can serve as a viable option for restoring function in a partially dentate patient whose remaining dentition has suffered from extensive attritional wear. It can be effectively executed to rehabilitate patients with low socio-economic status.