Free-end situation
Free-end situation is a technical term from dentistry for classifying incomplete dentures. A free-end situation exists when the missing teeth are the last in the row of teeth, i.e. there are no more teeth behind the missing teeth.
If someone does not (no longer) have all their teeth , this can affect their quality of life to varying degrees, depending on the number, type and location of the missing teeth. Various criteria were proposed for this, including the classification according to " switching " and "free end gaps".
If the missing teeth in a free-end situation are to be permanently replaced, this can only be done with a relatively complex and expensive implant supply.
Alternatively, a removable replacement (“ dental prosthesis ”) is possible. It is therefore important to avoid the emergence of free-end situations.
Analogous to this, a “cantilever prosthesis” is understood to be a partial prosthesis that is not limited to the rear by teeth, in contrast to a “switching prosthesis” that has an anchoring or support on existing, natural teeth on both sides of the gap.
