RPD experience in school

[haisha ni narou]

Just curious as to what all yalls RPD experience has been in school. I'm in the middle of my D4 year and haven't made an RPD yet. All of my partially dentate Pts elect for implants with FPDs or once they get their flipper they aren't interested in the restorative work with surveyed crowns etc required prior to framework fabrication. What are your requirements for graduation at your respective schools?

What was your pre-clinic experience with RPDs? Did you have to fabricate them? How much time was spent hands-on? What are your fees in the clinic for RPDs?

Thanks!

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[tinman831]

once they get their flipper they aren't interested in the restorative work with surveyed crowns etc required prior to framework fabrication.

I was in that boat once. I hand made a flipper for a patient on my own free time and they liked it so much they didn't even want the RPD. Same for a couple of interim RPD's I made for them as well. Too many bad experiences with them

 

[harjay]

UCLA requires 4 Cast metal w/ resin RPD's for graduation.... and it is the single requirement that most often holds people back.

1 implant can be substituted if the case is worked up and finished completely by the student. 2 Treatment partials can be substituted for 1 unit of RPD if enough teeth are replaced.

As a 4th year, I have 1 RPD done, 1 implant being restored now, and 2 more patients who need 1 RPD each.

... And we need 1 FPD to graduate, although the restorative division has a bit more leeway on this requirement. The Removable department are hard-asses to the end and don't like to let you off easy for anything

 

[peg lateral]

We had to do 1 RPD third year-- any class and any number of mod spaces. If not, we don't move on to senior year. Fourth year was a bit different in that we had to do 1 RPD, Kennedy Class I or II. We had to have 500 units or points of removable pros including the RPD which was our graded competency exam and one set of complete dentures (also a competency exam). What you did with the rest of the points to fulfill the minimum requirement was up to you. I did 2 complete dentures, 2 RPDs, and 2 flippers, which was more than the 500 points. RPD has historically been one of the harder requirements to meet-- I was just fortunate. I had screened some patients at the end of third year who needed RPDs, and I started them both right after our short summer break. Some of my classmates were not so fortunate-- one of my classmate's RPD patient died a week before she was set to deliver it. And this was the single case she had senior year. This was toward the end of the year as well. She had to find another case. It ended up working out, but that's a lot of stress I would rather not deal with. The hardest requirement for me to find was my FPD competency. Ended up finding one end of February. I was lucky it all worked out. I had a rotation first week of March, followed by a week of mock boards, followed by spring break, a week in clinic, another week on rotation, and then two weeks of clinic after that, and we were done. I still to this day don't know how I got it done. Thank goodness for awesome patients! And a lab that didn't screw up my FPD.

 

[OhioDMD]

We were required to do 4 rpds one of which had to be a double distal
extension and 4 complete ( maxillary & mandibular) denture sets.
We also did all processesing except waxing and casting the rpd
frameworks...... now I'm showing my age

PITT class of 81

 

[DrJeff]

Not having designed an RPD isn't the end of the world. The reality in private practice often is that if you present a design to the lab your using that is "atypical" (read as either WAY too much retention, or WAY too little retention), the lab tech/quality control manager/lab owner, etc, who has likely seen 1000's of RPD's of ever conceivable design and associated successes and yes failures too, will call you up and ask you if that's how you wanted it designed, and then very often in an extremely nice way express a possible concern about the design and a suggestion or two for that concern that he/she may have.

 

[longhornpride]

DII here... I've heard finding an RPD patient is a nightmare from the upperclassman.

 

[charlestweed]

DII here... I've heard finding an RPD patient is a nightmare from the upperclassman.

It is a nightmare for many dental students. Unlike complete dentures, you can't just take the impression for the RPDs and spend the next 6-7 appointments to complete them. Before you can take impression for the RPDs, you must first complete the perio and other restorative procedures such as fillings, endo, and crowns (crowns with proper guide planes and occlusal/cingulum rests). These preparatory steps may take a year to complete.

 

[lemoncurry]

we have to do 3 RPDs for graduation. I have not done any at this point. Doesn't matter what kennedy class they are, though. We do all the lab work except the casting of the framework and final processing.

 

[KinKs]

We have to do 2 sets of complete dentures, 2 RPD one of which must be cast metal. You don't get credit for flippers. According to the director for that department, you don't learn anything by making a flipper.

HUCD c/o 2012

 

[Oracle DMD]

we have to do 3 RPDs for graduation. I have not done any at this point. Doesn't matter what kennedy class they are, though. We do all the lab work except the casting of the framework and final processing.

it's getting to be crunch time to get those RPDs done isn't it LC??

 

[mooredge]

We have to do 11 arches of removable. With at least 3 being RPD's and 3 complete, the other 5 either. Having completed 4 RPD's 3 being cast metal I have to say i prefer completes.

 

[lemoncurry]

it's getting to be crunch time to get those RPDs done isn't it LC??

Indeed, but I'm confident I'll get them. As long as the pt doesn't need extensive treatment prior to the RPD, I still have plenty of time. Besides, I have endos and stuff I can trade

 

[caffeinehigh]

We have to design and make 2 RPDs (cast metal) but we do not cast the framework, set the teeth, or process them. No credit awarded for a flipper. Any Kennedy Class 1 requires the altered cast technique.

We have to do 3 sets of Full/Full Complete Denture, but you can substitute a Kennedy Class 1 MN with a MX CD for your last set.