exocad PartialCAD: designing a removable partial framework
How exocad PartialCAD designs removable partial denture frameworks: survey, relief, clasps, connectors, finish lines, retention and the hardware it needs.
Removable partial dentures are still a large part of the work in many labs, and designing the framework digitally removes the duplicate models and wax-up stages of the traditional workflow. exocad PartialCAD is exocad’s module for that work. This post explains how a framework is designed in PartialCAD, which design elements the module offers, and what to decide before starting.
What PartialCAD is
PartialCAD is an add-on module for removable partial denture frameworks, listed by exocad among the DentalCAD modules and also available stand-alone. exocad describes design elements such as meshes, major connectors, clasps, lingual aprons, finish lines and I-bar retainers, posts with retention, and automatic relief for fit. It also works together with the crown and bridge workflow, so crowns with attachments or guide planes can be planned in reverse from the framework.
Before design: model, survey and production method
The design starts from a scan of the arch with the abutment teeth and the edentulous areas, plus the antagonist. Decide the production method first: a framework printed for casting, one melted directly in metal, or one milled has different minimum thicknesses and relief, and those values come from the material and the production partner.
Then comes the survey. The insertion direction decides which undercuts the clasps use and which areas need block-out. A wrong insertion direction cannot be corrected later by adjusting clasps, so it deserves time.
Designing the framework
The usual sequence follows the traditional design. Block-out and relief prepare the model surface. Rests sit on the prepared rest seats, clasps engage the undercuts chosen in the survey, and the major connector joins the two sides with the shape and thickness the case needs. Meshes and retention elements carry the acrylic base, and finish lines define where metal meets resin.
Check thickness throughout, at the clasp shoulders and the connections between major connector and minor elements in particular. These are the places that break or deform in use.
Hardware and training
exocad’s hardware requirements note that PartialCAD has stricter graphics demands than DentalCAD and that Intel integrated graphics are not supported for it. A workstation that runs crowns smoothly may still struggle with large frameworks, so check the graphics card against exocad system requirements.
For technicians who learned partials on the bench, the logic transfers directly. What changes is the toolset, and a focused session on a real case usually shortens the first weeks (see exocad course). Full dentures use a different module, described in exocad full dentures.
Sources
- exocad, DentalCAD modules: PartialCAD
- exocad wiki, Hardware requirements
Frequently asked questions
Is PartialCAD part of exocad DentalCAD?
PartialCAD is an add-on module for DentalCAD and, according to exocad, also available as a stand-alone version. It works together with the crown and bridge workflow, which helps when crowns and a partial framework are planned in the same case.
Does PartialCAD need a stronger computer than DentalCAD?
Yes. The exocad hardware requirements note that PartialCAD has stricter graphics demands than DentalCAD and that Intel integrated graphics are not supported for it. A dedicated graphics card is needed.
How are PartialCAD frameworks produced?
They are usually printed in a castable resin or wax and cast, or produced directly in metal by laser melting, or milled. The production method changes minimum thicknesses and relief, so it is decided before design.