Further aspects of design for distal extension removable partial dentures based on the Kennedy classification

A supplement to the Kennedy classification of partially edentulous arches for restoration with removable partial dentures has been suggested. Factors affecting denture design relating to the position of the abutment teeth, the symmetry of the edentulous distal extensions, the arch form and the cross-sectional shape of the residual ridges have been discussed and classified. An understanding of the movement of the denture bases in relation to the influence of these factors makes for a rational approach to removable partial denture design and the treatment of complications observed clinically in removable partial denture wearers.