Patient-Reported Outcomes and Clinical Performance of CAD/CAM Removable Dentures: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Purpose: To review the literature on CAD/CAM removable complete and partial dentures regarding patient- and clinician-reported outcomes.

Materials and methods: We performed an electronic search of the Cochrane Central Register of controlled trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases (last update: March 2023). All clinical trials or observational studies investigating CAD/ CAM removable dentures (conventional or implant-retained) were included.

Results: The search yielded 4,035 records and led to 58 included studies. Results suggest that CAD/CAM complete and partial dentures, when compared to the conventional ones, can save time and resources while being rated either noninferior or superior by patients and clinicians in most studies. However, consensus on which workflow offers fewer adjustments and postoperative sessions is still pending.

Conclusions: The literature suggests that CAD/CAM complete and partial dentures can combine substantial time and cost savings, with patient and clinician experiences at least comparable to conventional prostheses. Given the low evidence level of existing studies, future well-designed randomized trials with large sample sizes are required to confirm those advantages.

Keywords: CAD/CAM; Clinical outcome; Patient-reported outcomes; Removable denture.