La clasificación de Kennedy y sus modificaciones en los pacientes parcialmente edéntulos.

Abstract

Edentulism is a health problem that compromises the quality of life of patients and can be classified as partial or total. In partial edentulism, the Kennedy classification has been used for almost a century, which is the most accepted and used classification method due to its simplicity and ease of application. The objective was to analyze the importance of the Kennedy classification and its modifications for the prosthetic rehabilitation of partially edentulous patients. A systematic review was developed in which 20 published articles were included, with cross-sectional studies being the most representative designs with 13 articles. The Kennedy classification allows for easy visualization of the arches, differentiation between partially edentulous arches, and a logical approach to prosthetic design. Partially edentulous arches are classified into four classes taking as reference the edentulous areas and their relationship with the remaining natural teeth. All of this facilitates decision-making in prosthetic design. To plan prosthetic rehabilitation of partially edentulous patients, the Kennedy classification helps in the selection of prosthetic rehabilitation. In patients with class I or II, removable partial dentures are used more frequently and in patients with class III the main option is fixed partialdentures.