CURTIS ET AL

abnormal jaw relations: maxillary protrusion and wider upper 12. Saunders TR, Gillis RE, Desjardins RP. The maxillary com-
arch. J PROSTHET DENT 1974;32:107-11. plete denture opposing the mandibuIar bilateral distal-extension
9. Wright WH. Selection and arrangement of artificial teeth for partial denture: Treatment considerations. J PROSTHET DENT
complete prosthetic dentures. J Am Dent Assoc 1936;23:2291- 1979;41:124-8.
2307.
10. Payne SH. Selective occlusion. J PROSTHET DENT 1955;s: Reprint requests to:
301-4. DR. THOMAS A. CURTIS
11. Kelly E. Changes caused by a mandibular removable partial UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
denture opposing a maxillary complete denture. J PROSTHET SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY Box 0758
DENT 1972;27:140-50. SAN FRANCISCO. CA 94143-0758

A modified direct retainer design for

distal-extension removable partial dentures
Z. Ben-& D.M.D.,+ I. Aviv, D.M.D.,** and H. S. Cardash, B.D.S., L.D.S.+**
Tel Aviv University, The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel

V arious extracoronal clasp assemblies have been

designed for abutment teeth adjacent to a distal-
extension ridge to allow rotation of a removable partial
denture base toward tissue without torquing the clasped
tooth.’ Kratochvil* popularized the proximal plate/
mesio-occlusal rest/I-bar (RPI) design. Krol’ modified
the proximal plate, naming the system “The RPI bar
clasp design.”
Proponents of the RPI system claim that (1) it is more
esthetically acceptable, (2) tooth coverage is minimal, (3)
the retainer disengages when unfavorable forces are
applied, and (4) adequate retention is available with
minimum undercuts.
The effectiveness of this assembly can be increased if
the I-bar is replaced by an L-shaped bar direct retainer.
The retainer has been described as one half T-bar or a
modified T-bar clasp.4 The mesio-occlusal rest and
proximal plate are designed as in the RPI clasp assem-
bly. However, the I-bar is replaced by an L-shaped
direct retainer arising from the framework distobuccal to
the abutment tooth. The L-bar crosses the gingival
margin of the abutment tooth in the shortest possible
line, ascends to the survey line, and engages the distobuc-
cal undercut (Fig. 1).
RATIONALE OF THE L-BAR CLASP
Location of the retentive clasp tip
The retentive tip of a clasp should be placed on the
abutment tooth so as to allow it to disengage as the
distal-extension base moves toward tissue and thus avoid
creating a class II lever effect on the abutment. A
retentive clasp tip placed distal to the horizontal axis of
rotation (through the occlusal rests) will meet this
demand.*%3 For the purpose of considering retainer
movement around an occlusal rest axis of rotation, the
retentive surface of the tooth can be divided into (1) a
region where vertical movement only occurs, (2) a region
of horizontal movement, and (3) an intermediate zone in
which both vertical and horizontal movements take place
(Fig. 2).
A retentive clasp tip placed on the most distal part of
the buccal surface at the same horizontal level as the axis
of rotation (rests) will undergo a downward vertical
movement and disengage as the distal-extension base
moves toward tissue (Fig. 1). If a retentive clasp tip (an
I-bar) is placed more apical to or nearer to the axis of
rotation, a more anterior movement will occur (Fig. 3).
A clasp assembly designed with a distally placed clasp
tip will reduce this anterior movement of the tip to
negligible proportions.

Length of the distal-extension base

*Clinical Lecturer, Department of Oral Rehabilitation.
**Instructor, Department of Oral Rehabilitation. The longer the distal-extension base, the smaller the
***Clinical Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral Rehabilitation effect of the movement of the retentive clasp toward

342 SEPTEMBER 1988 VOLUME 60 NUMBER 3

MODIFIED DIRECT RETAINER DESIGN

Fig. 1. L-bar direct retainer. Semilunar lines represent

different radii of rotation of retainer tip around fulcrum Fig. 3. I-bar placed more apical to or nearer rest(F) will
F (rest). move anteriorly as denture base moves toward tissue.

Fig. 4. Effect of length of denture base on clasp move-

Fig. 2. Radii of rotation around rest F. Three retentive
surfaces. (A), Vertical movement zone, (B) horizontal
movement zone, (C) intermediate zone.
tissue (Fig. 4). The vertical movement of a clasp tip x on
the abutment relatlive to the length of the distal-extension
basesmay be deducedmathematically.:
AB X
Tana=BD=G
AB CD
xx-----
BD
When the most distal abutment is a first premolar, the
length of the distal-extension basehas beencalculated at
approximately 48 mm.5A 2 mm movementtoward tissue
at the distal end of the extension basewill result in 0.25
mm vertical movement of the retentive clasp tip. A
retentive clasp placedin the region of the abutment tooth
designatedfor vertical movement will move downward
and will disengage.whenocclusalforcesare placedon the
denture base.
Height of the ab,utment tooth
The greater the height of the clinical crown of the
abutment tooth, the more difficult it is to place the
retentive clasp tip at or near the samehorizontal level as
the occlusal rest. Esthetics is compromisedand a long
undesirable flexible bar is required. This is especially
true when a mandibular canine is used as a distal
abutment. However, the long distal-extension base
ment. AB = Distance moved by denture base; CD = dis-
tance of clasp tip to fulcrum; x = distance clasp tip
moves.
reducesthe amount of vertical movementof the clasptip,
permitting it to be placed in a more apical position.
Depth of the rest seat
The deepestpart of the rest seat preparation will act
as the axis of rotation of the distal-extension removable
partial denture. A minimum depth of 1 to 1.5 mm has
beensuggested.’The more apical the fulcrum, the easier
it is to place the clasptip at the samehorizontal plane as
the occlusalrest and in the vertical movement region of
the retentive surface.
Advantages of the L-bar
The I-bar is free to disengagefrom the tooth when
rotation of the denture occurs around the mesio-occlusal
resk6 The L-bar when placed near or at the same
horizontal level as the occlusal rest alsofrees itself from
the abutment tooth. Becauseit is locatedmore distally on
the buccal surface, the L-bar is more esthetically accept-
able. The absenceof undercuts on the buccal surface of a
mandibular premolar or a canine necessitatestooth-
recontouring if an I-bar is used. This recontouring may
have to be extended anteriorly to provide freedom for
disengagementof the I-bar as the extension basemoves
toward tissue. A distobuccal undercut is invariably
present for use of an L-bar. A distal path of insertion
may be usedwithout stressingthe abutment tooth. The
L-bar is easier to grasp, facilitating removal of the
prosthesis.

THE JOURNAL OF PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY 343

 BEN-UR, AVIV, AND CARDASH

SUMMARY 3. Krol AJ. Clasp design for extension-base removable partial

dentures. J PR~STHET DENT 1973;29:408-15.
The rationale for designing a direct retainer for a 4. Boucher LJ, Renner RP. Treatment of partially edentulous
distal-extension removable partial denture is described. patients. St Louis: The CV Mosby Co, 1982;26, 147.
The advantages of an L-bar clasp arm over the I-bar 5. Kraus B, Jordan RE, Abrams L. Dental anatomy and occlusion.
6th ed. Baltimore: The Williams & Wilkins Co, 1964;6-116.
clasp arm are discussed. The retentive surface of an
6. Demer WJ. An analysis of mesial rest-I-bar clasp designs. J
abutment tooth is divided into three zones according to PROSTHET DENT 1976;36:243-53.
the clasp tip movement and the importance of placing the
Reprint requests to:
retentive tip in the zone of vertical movement is empha-
DR. Z. BEN-UR
sized. TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY
REFERENCES THE MAURICE AND GABRIELA GOLDSCHLEGER SCHWL OF
DENTAL MEDICINE
1. Henderson D, McGivney GP, Castleberry DJ. McCracken’s
TEL AVIV
removable partial prosthodontics. 7th ed. St. Louis: The CV
ISRAEL
Mosby Co, 1985;107.
2. Kratochvil FJ. Influence of occlusal rest position on movement of
abutment teeth. J PROSTHET DENT 1963;13:114-23.

An alternate centric relation recording technique for

a distal-extension removable partial denture
M. J. Edge, D.M.D.,* and James M. Podnar, D.D.S.**
United States Army Dental Command, Fort Gordon, Ga.

Various authors have advocated the using of acrylic record bases are accurate, reliable, and indicated, espe-
resin record bases to record centric relation when making cially when a corrected impression technique has been
distal-extension removable partial dentures.‘s2 These used. However, in many instances where the distal-
extension base is small and/or unilateral, accurate and
The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the dependable records may also be obtained by other
authors and are not be to construed as official or as reflecting the means. This article describes an alternate technique for
views of the Department of the Army or Department of Defense.
*Colonel, U.S. Army, Dental Corps; Chief, Fixed Prosthodontics.
obtaining centric relation records in these instances by
**Major, U.S. Army, Dental Corps; U.S. Army DENTAC, Fort using a kneadable silicone impression putty instead of
Eustis, Va. acrylic resin record bases.

Fig. 2. Patient closed in centric relation with putty

Fig. 1. Framework in place showing putty extruding interposed between framework mesh and opposing
through retentive mesh. occlusion.

344 SEPTEMBER 1988 VOLUME 60 NUMBER 3