Dental Apptitude
RPD Rx ConsultPartial denture design review

Independent design review for complex removable partial dentures.

Send an intraoral scan or study cast photographs. GDC-registered dental technicians survey the case, design the framework, and return a written rationale with a prescription ready to send to your laboratory. You remain responsible for the final treatment plan.

Records accepted
STL from any intraoral scanner, or study cast photographs
Written review
Within 6 to 48 hours
Peer review
Every case checked by two team members
Laboratory
Prescription is usable with any laboratory

Resolve the design before tooth preparation begins.

Most problems found at try-in were present at the planning stage: an unrecognised undercut, a rest seat with too little clearance, a retainer in the aesthetic zone. We review your records against a defined survey and design protocol, so the preparation plan and laboratory prescription are agreed before treatment.

  • Preparation plan. Rest seats and guide planes are marked on the survey.
  • Material advice. Cobalt-chromium or an acrylic transitional design, with the reasons for each.
  • Your decision. We advise on design. Diagnosis, consent and the final prescription remain yours.

Scope of the service

So that you know what to expect before you submit.

  • Survey, path of insertion and occlusal clearance assessment
  • Major and minor connector, rest, retainer and saddle design
  • Abutment guidance, including teeth with a guarded prognosis
  • Material selection and future modification of the framework
  • We do not examine, diagnose or treat patients
  • We do not replace your clinical assessment of periodontal or restorative suitability
  • We will advise referral where the records suggest the case is outside denture design alone

How each case is handled

Every case follows the same four stages, and is recorded against a case reference.

  1. Records check

    We confirm your GDC registration and check the scan or photographs are adequate to plan safely. If not, we tell you before any design work starts.

  2. Survey and design

    A team member surveys the case, selects the path of insertion and draws the framework.

  3. Second review

    A second team member independently reviews the survey and design. Disagreements are resolved and noted in the rationale.

  4. Report issued

    You receive the written report and prescription. You review, amend and authorise it under your own registration.

What you receive

Documentation you can file in the patient record, discuss at consent, and pass directly to your laboratory.

Survey and preparation plan
Annotated 3D views showing the path of insertion, usable and unwanted undercuts, areas for block-out, and the location of each rest seat and guide plane.
Written design rationale
The reason for each saddle, rest, retainer and connector. Where an abutment has a guarded prognosis, the report explains how the framework can be modified if the tooth is lost.
Laboratory prescription
A PDF design sheet and an editable .RPD file for RPD Rx. Amend it at the chair, add your GDC number and send it to your laboratory.

The clinicians reviewing your case

Cases are reviewed by named, GDC-registered dental technology staff who also teach removable prosthodontics at university level. You can confirm any registration on the GDC online register.

CGChet Geisel

Chet Geisel

Founder, RPD Rx
Senior Lecturer and Programme Director, BSc (Hons) Dental Technology, Cardiff Metropolitan University
GDC 120392

Expertise in removable prosthodontic biomechanics and digital surveying. Developed the RPD Rx design workflow.

JMJiri Matl

Jiri Matl

Clinical Dental Technician
Senior Lecturer and Pathway Lead, MSc Advanced Practice (Dental Technology)
GDC 163828

Expertise in complex prosthodontic cases, including Scandinavian-style RPD design and partially dentate cases with limited occlusal clearance.

Services and fees

Fees are fixed per case and payable at submission. There is no retainer.

Written case review

Report and prescription by email within 6 to 48 working hours.

£50

per case · £25 for RPD Rx Pro members

  • Digital survey and path of insertion analysis
  • Annotated rest seat and guide plane preparation plan
  • Written clinical rationale
  • PDF design sheet and editable .RPD file
Request a written review

Review with video consultation

Suited to dual-arch cases, worn dentitions or several treatment options.

£125

per case · £100 for RPD Rx Pro members

  • Everything in the written review
  • 30-minute video call with a senior reviewer
  • Live rotation of the survey and framework design
  • Final prescription issued after the call
Book a video consultation

Records check and refunds. We check your records before starting. If the scan or photographs are not adequate to plan the case safely, we will tell you what is needed. If the case cannot be planned from the records available, the fee is refunded in full.

Information and clinical governance

The service is provided to registered dental professionals for use alongside their own clinical judgement and record keeping.

  • Patient information. Do not include patient names or dates of birth. Binary STL headers are cleared in your browser before upload, and uploaded files are renamed.
  • Storage. Case files are held in an encrypted UK/EU store and permanently deleted 30 days after the review is complete.
  • Responsibility. You retain clinical responsibility for diagnosis, preparation, consent and the final prescription.
  • Concerns. Write to support@dentalapptitude.com and we will respond within five working days.

Submit a case

Upload your records and tell us what you would like reviewed. We verify GDC registration before any case is released for design.

Clinician details
Case details
Records
Select files or drag them here

Upper, lower and bite registration STL files, study cast or clinical photographs, or an existing .RPD file.

    Photographs and PDFs are renamed but not otherwise altered. Check that images do not show names, labels or dates of birth.

    Service

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I send the prescription to my usual laboratory?

    Yes. The service is independent of any laboratory. The PDF prescription and survey images can be attached to a 3Shape Communicate, iTero or Medit Link case, or to a paper laboratory prescription.

    Can you plan a case without an intraoral scan?

    Yes. Occlusal and lateral photographs of study casts, with your notes, are enough for most cases. An STL scan allows undercut depths to be measured, so the survey is more precise.

    How is patient information handled?

    Do not enter patient names or dates of birth. In your browser, we clear the header of binary STL files, which some scanners use to store a patient name, and rename every file before upload. Files are held in an encrypted UK/EU store and permanently deleted 30 days after the review is complete.

    Who authorises the final prescription?

    You do. As the treating clinician you remain responsible for diagnosis, tooth preparation, consent and the final prescription. We provide a considered design and an editable file, which you review and amend before authorising it under your own registration.

    What happens if the records are not adequate?

    We tell you what is missing before design work starts, for example a scan with incomplete palatal or lingual detail. If the case cannot be planned from the records available, the fee is refunded in full.

    Do you see or speak to patients?

    No. The service is provided to the treating clinician only.