Major Connectors

Dr. Amira Qadeer

Dept. of Prosthodontics

RECOMMENDED READING
CHAPTER 5, MCCRACKEN’S REMOVABLE PARTIAL PROSTHODONTICS. 12TH EDITION.
 Components of a removable
partial denture
1. Major connectors

2. Minor connectors

3. Rests

4. Direct retainers

5. Stabilizing or reciprocal components (as parts of a clasp

assembly)

6. Indirect retainers (if the prosthesis has distal extension

bases)

7. One or more bases, each supporting one to several

replacement teeth
 Major Connectors

 Unifies the major parts of the prosthesis

 Distribution of functional forces throughout the arch to selected teeth

& tissue

 Minimization of applied torque to teeth

 Limits the prosthesis movement (cross-arch stabilization)

 Characteristics
 Fabricated from a biocompatible alloy
 Rigid and provide cross-arch stability
 Non-interfering with tongue movements
 Do not alter the natural contours of the ridge or palate
 Do not impinge on the soft tissue during placement, removal or
function
 Cover no more tissue than is absolutely required
 Do not contribute to food impaction
 Contribute to support of prosthesis (minimize rotation tendency
during function)
 Maxillary major connectors cross midline at right angle
 Guidelines

 Should be free of movable tissues

 Avoid impingement of gingival tissues

 Avoid bony and soft tissue prominences during placement and removal

 Relief underneath it in areas of median palatal raphe or inoperable tori

 Relief to prevent tissue impingement during function especially in Distal

extension bases.

 Should not be located on already convex soft tissue prominences

(between crests of rugae)
 6

4
4
 Mandibular Major Connectors

1. Lingual bar

2. Linguoplate

3. Sublingual bar

4. Lingual bar with cingulum bar (continuous bar)

5. Cingulum bar (continuous bar)

6. Labial bar
 Lingual Bar
 Half-pear shaped
 Located above moving tissues of
the floor of the mouth, but below
the margins of the gingiva (min
4mm).
 Should be smooth and round
without any sharp edge or angular
form.
 Inferior border should not impinge
floor of the mouth that changes
elevations during function
How to determine the height of the
floor of the mouth?
Cast obtained after functional
Clinically using periodontal movements of tongue during
probe impression recording
 Linguoplate
 Includes lingual border at inferior
border, superior border at the
contact points and cingula and
lateral borders at minor connectors.

 Upper border should not be located

above the middle third of the lingual
surface except to cover
interproximal space to contact
point.
Should be as thin as technically feasible.

Should be contoured to follow the contours of the teeth and embrasures.

 Indications
1. When the lingual frenum is high or the space available for a
lingual bar is limited

2. In Class I situations in which the residual ridges have

undergone excessive vertical resorption

3. For stabilizing periodontally weakened teeth, splinting with a

linguoplate can be of some value when used with definite
rests on sound adjacent teeth.

4. When the future replacement of one or more incisor teeth will

be facilitated by the addition of retention loops to an existing
linguoplate.
Interrupted Lingual plate
Interproximal spaces
 Sublingual Bar
 Limited space between floor

of the mouth and free gingiva

 Superior border of the bar

cannot be placed 4mm

below the gingival margin

 Inferior and posterior

placement than a lingual bar

Contraindications of Sublingual Bar

1. Interfering Lingual torus

2. High attachment of a Lingual

frenum

3. Interference with elevations of floor

of the mouth during functional

movements
 Continuous Bar

 A cingulum bar located on or slightly

above the cingula of the anterior teeth.

 It may be added to the lingual bar or can

be used independently.

 Indicated when excessive blockout of

interproximal spaces in anterior teeth
needed for lingual plate.

 Also indicated in cases of wide diastema

between the anterior teeth
Continuous Bar
 Labial Bar
In extreme lingual inclination of the remaining lower premolar and incisor teeth
 Maxillary Major Connectors

1. Single Palatal Bar

2. Combination anterior-posterior palatal strap

3. U-Shaped palatal connector

4. Single palatal strap

5. Anterior and Posterior palatal bars

6. Palatal Plate
 Single Palatal Strap
 Indicated in
1. Bilateral short span tooth
supported posterior edentulous
area
2. Unilateral short span tooth
supported edentulous area
with cross-arch stabilization

 Contraindicated in
1. Anterior and posterior
edentulous saddles in single
arch
 Advantages:
1. Rigid
2. Comfortable

 Disadvantages: Width of
1. Cannot be used in long span the
edentulous saddles strap?

2. Cannot be used to connect

anterior and posterior edentulous
saddles
Combination anterior-posterior
palatal strap
 Rigid

 Used in almost any partial denture

design (K-II & K-IV)

 Posterior strap: located as posterior

as possible but anterior to the
junction between hard and soft
palate

 Posterior strap: flat, 8mm wide

 Rigidity: lateral connectors joining

anterior and posterior straps

 May be extended for anterior

teeth replacements

 May be used in case of palatal

torus
 U-Shaped Palatal Connector

 Least desirable

 Indicated when inoperable

palatal torus and other

connectors cannot be

given
 Disadvantages:

1. Flexure (lateral flexure under

function)

2. Impingement of underlying tissue

due to inadequate support

3. Increased thickness if bulk added for

rigidity
 Palatal Plate
 Any thin broad contoured palatal
coverage is referred as palatal plate
 Covers one half or more of the
palate
 Corrugated contour: uniform
thickness & strength. Can be made
thinner
 Thermal conductivity: more
acceptable by the patient
 Electrolytic polishing: thickness
maintained
 Intimate contact with palatal tissue:
contributes to retention
Plate of varying width Complete coverage palatal major
Connecting 2 or more edentulous areas connector
With provisions for attaching full-coverage
resin denture base
 Single Palatal Bar

 Palatal connector less than

8mm in width

 Widely used

 For rigidity: concentrated

bulk

 Objectionable: bulk &

alteration of palatal contours
 Anterior and Posterior Palatal Bars

 Concentrated bulk

 Objectionable

 Interfere with tongue

function