The computer-aided design and rapid prototyping fabrication of removable partial denture framework

This paper investigated the feasibility to design and fabricate a sacrificial pattern for a removable partial denture (RPD) metal alloy framework with computer-aided design (CAD) and rapid prototyping (RP) technologies. A plaster cast of a patient was digitally scanned with an optical scanner and the captured surface data were imported to three-dimensional (3-D) softwares, which were then used to preprocess the data and design each component of RPD framework with reference to the scanned digital model. After boolean operation, the digital model of framework was created and the data were saved as standard triangulation language (STL) format for producing a sacrificial pattern of framework with RP technology. Then the casting mold method was carried out in a chromium-cobalt alloy to manufacture a RPD entity framework according to the pattern. The result has indicated that the fabricated RPD framework was fit to the patient successfully and could be acceptable for clinical presentation.