CLASSIFICATION OF PARTIAL DEFECTS OF THE DENTITION: THE KENNEDY CLASSIFICATION

Abstract

This article covers one of the classification systems widely used in restorative dentistry, the Kennedy classification. The classification was first developed by Doctor Edward Kennedy in the 1920s and makes it possible to identify and assess cases of partial edentulism and to draw up effective treatment plans. The article analyses separately each class of the classification (I-IV) and also classes V and VI, introduced later by Applegate. Clinical examples, design approaches and aesthetic and functional approaches relating to each class are presented. Beginning with class I, cases of bilateral edentulism in the posterior region are considered, in class II a unilateral edentulous area, in class III an edentulous space bounded on both sides, and in class IV anterior edentulism crossing the midline. Classes V and VI were added by Applegate in order to bring clarity to the system and include cases in which the teeth in the existing spaces cannot be used as abutments or are seriously damaged. The article also covers the importance of the classification in dental practice, its role in treatment planning and its advantages in simplifying communication with the patient and technical cooperation. This system serves as an effective instrument in denture design, aesthetic restoration and the improvement of the patient's oral health.