Retention:

Is the resistance of the partial denture to vertical displacement away from the tissues.
If denture resists this vertical movement, it has retention.

This vertical dislodging forces occurs during:

1. Mastication of sticky food
2. Movement of lips, tongue and cheeks > The musculature around
-

3. Gravitational pull-on maxillary denture partial denture.

vertical displacement

Retention - > Physiological

- * Main I A
• the physiological molding of the
tissues around the polished surfaces
Mechanical in partial complete • Neuromuscular control
• direct retainers denture Physical denture
• Indirect retainers
1. Adhesion
• Frictional fit (during the box show of
2. Cohesion
occlusal rest
3. Interfacial s.t
• Parts of the denture engaging tooth and
4. Atmospheric pressure
tissue undercuts
5. Gravity

↓ extracorona
intracoronal
↓
clasp attachment
retainer

What is a direct retainer

It is that component of a partial denture that acts to resist
movement of the denture away from the teeth and/or
supportive tissues during function

What is attachments -

An attachment is a mechanical device for the fixation, retention and stabilization of prosthesis
Attachments re made up of two components, a male and female, or key and key-ways which snugly fit each other
One of them is attached to the abutment tooth and the other is attached to the partial denture
When two components are fitted together, they provide direct retention by means of a combination of friction and spring action

female-

Omare

On Or
 Attachments
• are usually prefabricated and set into the casting of full crowns by the help of a dental surveyor.
• When a number of attachments are to be used for denture retention, they need to be accurately paralleled by use of a surveyor
technique at the stage of placement within the wax patterns of the abutment retainers
• There are many types and forms of attachments, however with removable partial dentures the most common used are:
a) according to availability
percussion (ready made) or semi-precession (custom made) are ready made
b) according to its location
① - intra coronal attachments
② - extra coronal attachments

⑭ Intracoronal attachments
• are incorporated entirely within the contour of crown
• In this type of attachment, the female unit of the attachment is set within the crown of the tooth and presents a dovetail slot
• The male unit presents a correspondingly shaped projection, and is attached to the denture saddle
• When the two units slide into each other they provide frictional grip retention, which may be augmented in some types by a spring
action
• INTRAcoronal = FRICTIONAL grip

Advantages: Disadvantages:
• Intra-coronal attachments provide both retentive and supportive • Intra-coronal attachments require extensive preparation
functions together with some horizontal stability of abutment teeth
• The advantage of an intra-coronal attachment is that the • These attachments are non resilient and are usually
occlusal forces exerted upon the abutment tooth are applied indicated for bounded saddles case
close to the long axis of the tooth (better force distribution
compared to extra-coronal).

② Extracoronal attachments
• Here, the retentive element lies external to the crown contour of the abutment
tooth
• Extra-coronal attachments are normally resilient to allow free movement of the
prosthesis to distribute potentially destructive forces or loads away from the
abutments to supportive bone and tissue
• Flexible
• Indicated in free end saddle

Advantages: Disadvantages:
• the normal tooth contour can be maintained, minimal tooth • it is more difficult to maintain hygiene with extra coronal
reduction is necessary and the possibility of devitalizing the attachments and patients need to be instructed on the use of
tooth is reduced hygiene accessories such as proxy brushes etc. this is in order to
• Also the path of insertion is easier for patients with limited keep the underside of the attachment area clean and to maintain
dexterity the health of the underlying gingival tissues
• Extra coronal attachments are usually indicated for free end saddle
cases (resilient and flexible)
Advantages of both Intracoronal and extracoronal Disadvantages of Intracoronal and extracoronal attachment:
attachment:
1. Their application is usually much more time-consuming in
1. They can provide excellent transfer of vertical and both the clinical and laboratory areas (complicated clinical
horizontal loads from the denture saddles to the and laboratory procedures for construction)
abutment teeth on which they are placed 2. Relatively expensive. Thus their use may need to be limited
2. Good aesthetics are obtainable, with no clasp arms by economic considerations
being visible 3. Placement of an attachment on an abutment tooth may
3. They may be more hygienic, with minimal external necessitate the removal of a considerable amount of sound
components present to trap food and accumulate tooth substance
plaque 4. Their use in cases with free-end saddles requires special
4. They are generally well tolerated by patients, as their care to avoid failure. If an attachment is used which
form normally avoids irritation of the tongue, lips or provides a rigid link between the saddle and the abutment
cheeks (better than clasps) tooth, then destructive overload of the periodontal
5. Unlike the position with clasp units, use is not dictated attachment of the abutment tooth can occur. Instead, it is
by the presence or absence of undercuts on a tooth usually recommended that an attachment of a more
6. Provide better denture retention and stability if complex (and hence expensive) type should be used which
compared to clasps provides some form of flexible link between the saddle and
the abutment tooth, as well as providing direct retention
5. Can not be used in abutment teeth with large pulp
chambers, short clinical crowns or weak periodontal
support
6. Its parts may wear by time, resulting in loss of fit decreasing
retention
7. Difficult to repair if broken

Mechanical means of

S
retention
-part of denture
↓
↓
L

direct indirect engaging tooth &

retainer retainer tissue undercuts
frictional
/X
L X fit
attachments
clasps (done above)
(below)
Clasps
A clasp is a unit of a removable partial denture that engages an abutment > rest
tooth in such a manner as to resist displacement of the prosthesis away
from basal seat tissues

retentive
T Minor
clasp 7
connector
arm

> reciprocal
arm

Retentive arm:
• The retentive arm gradually tapers down from its point of origin to a retentive tip
• The retentive arm should be rigid except the retentive tip which is the only flexible part of the retentive arm
• Only the terminal third of the retentive arm should engage the undercut area in an abutment tooth
• Ideally, the retentive tip should be positioned in the gingival third of the crown in an undercut area away from
the gingival margin by about 2 mm

Reciprocal arm:
• it is located on the surface of the tooth opposite to the retentive arm
• Ideally, it should be positioned over the survey line and if possible in the middle of middle third of the tooth
surface
• It provides horizontal stability and counter balances the stresses generated by the retentive arm during
placement and removal

T
Basic principles of a properly designed clasp
• Encirclement

• Retention

• Support

• bracing
• Stabilization

• Reciprocation

• The clasp should be designed on biological as well as mechanical bases

• Minimumum of 5mm space between any two neighboring minor connectors

I >
-
prevent food impaction ,
inflammation etc
.

• Minor connector ( or proximal plate) must contact a definite guiding plane to dictate path of insertion

• Undercuts is better be found within the gingival 1/3rd for better esthetics and mechanics. Bracing arm better located in the apical
portion of the middle 1/3rd

• Passivity
80 Factors determining retentive force of a clasp

O Amount of undercut wed Angle of cervical convergence

③ Angle of approach

④ Flexibility of Clasp Arm