Major

Major Connectors
Connectors
Functions
Functions of
of aa Major
Major Connector
Connector
 Unification
Unification
Partial
Partial denture
denture acts
acts as
as one
one unit
unit
Connects
Connects various
various parts
parts
Functions
Functions of
of aa Major
Major Connector
Connector
 Stress
Stress Distribution
Distribution
Distributes
Distributes functional
functional loads
loads to
to both
both
teeth
teeth &
& mucosa
mucosa
Functions
Functions of
of aa Major
Major Connector
Connector
 Cross-Arch
Cross-Arch Stabilization
Stabilization
(Counterleverage)
(Counterleverage)
Bracing
Bracing elements
elements onon one
one side
side of
of the
the
arch
arch providing
providing stability
stability to
to the
the other
other
Requirements
Requirements of
of aa Major
Major Connector
Connector
 Rigidity
Rigidity
Functions
Functions as
as one
one unit
unit
To
To Increase
Increase Rigidity
Rigidity
 Use
Use aa more
more rigid
rigid alloy
alloy
 Chrome-cobalt
Chrome-cobalt >> gold
gold alloys;
alloys; cast
cast >> wrought
wrought
 Shape
Shape
 1/2
1/2 round
round >> 1/2
1/2 pear
pear shaped
shaped >> flat
flatbars
bars
To
To Increase
Increase Rigidity
Rigidity
 Increase
Increase the
the bulk
bulk as
as the
the length
length increases
increases
 Corrugate
Corrugate linguo-plate
linguo-plate or
or rugae
rugae areas
areas
Requirements
Requirements
 Non-Interference
Non-Interference with
with Tissues
Tissues
Should
Should not
not enter
enter undercut
undercut areas
areas
avoid
avoid by
by changing
changing path
path of
of insertion
insertion
or
or by
by using
using blockout
blockout
Non-Interference
Non-Interference With
With Tissues
Tissues
 Avoid
Avoid terminating
terminating on: on:
Free
Free gingival
gingival margin
margin
Cross
Cross abruptly
abruptly at at 90
90oo
Relief
Relief isis used
used to
to minimize
minimize
impingement
impingement

(Fig 2-17, Stewart's)

Non-Interference
Non-Interference With
With Tissues
Tissues
 Avoid
Avoid terminating
terminating on:
on:
Hard
Hard structures
structures such
such as
as the
the mid-
mid-
palatal
palatal suture
suture or
or mandibular
mandibular tori
tori
Place
Place relief
relief
Non-Interference
Non-Interference With
With Tissues
Tissues
 Avoid
Avoid terminating
terminating on:
on:
 Lingual
Lingual frenum
frenum && the
the movable
movable soft
soft palate
palate
 Soft
Soft tissue
tissue movements
movements must
must also
also be
be allowed
allowed
 Careful
Careful intraoral
intraoral exam
exam
Minimize
Minimize Food
Food Impaction
Impaction
 Locate
Locate margins
margins away
away from
from the
the FGM
FGM
 Eliminate
Eliminate "traps"
"traps" oror large
large concavities
concavities
where
where food
food can
can collect
collect
Unobtrusive
Unobtrusive
 Smooth
Smooth transition
transition from
from connector
connector to
to
denture
denture base
base -- butt
butt joint
joint
Unobtrusive
Unobtrusive
 Line
Line angles
angles and
and edges
edges should
should be
be smooth
smooth
and
and rounded
rounded
 Borders
Borders should
should not
not interfere
interfere with
with speech
speech

(Fig 2-21, Stewart's)

Mandibular
Mandibular Major
Major Connectors
Connectors
 Lingual
Lingual Bar
Bar
 Lingual
Lingual Plate
Plate
 Continuous
Continuous Bar
Bar
Mandibular
Mandibular Major
Major Connectors
Connectors
 Lingual
Lingual Bar
Bar
Most
Most common
common in
in mandibe
mandibe
Use
Use whenever
whenever possible
possible
 Mandibular
Mandibular Major
Major Connectors
Connectors
 Lingual
Lingual Bar
Bar
Shape
Shape
Flat
Flat on
on tissue
tissue side
side
Convex
Convex or or tear-drop
tear-drop on
on
tongue
tongue side
side
(1/2
(1/2 pear
pear shape,
shape, with
with
thin
thin edge
edge toward
toward teeth)
teeth)

(Fig 2-35, Stewart's)

Mandibular
Mandibular Major
Major Connectors
Connectors
 Lingual
Lingual Bar
Bar
Size
Size
Occluso-gingival
Occluso-gingival width
width == 44 to
to 66 mm
mm
Thickness
Thickness == l.5
l.5 to
to 22 mm
mm
Inferior
Inferior Border
Border Mandible
Mandible
 Patient
Patient lifts
lifts tongue
tongue
Activates
Activates floor
floor of
of mouth
mouth
 Measure
Measure from
from tiptip of
of probe
probe to
to free
free
gingival
gingival margin
margin
Inferior
Inferior Border
Border Mandible
Mandible
 Record
Record values
values in
in chart,
chart, transfer
transfer to
to cast
cast
 Lingual
Lingual Bar
Bar
 Position
Position
Superior
Superior border
border
l.5-2.0
l.5-2.0 mm
mm oror more
more below
below FGM
FGM
As
As far
far from
from gingival
gingival margin
margin as
as
possible
possible

(Fig 2-15, Stewart's)

Potential
Potential Impingement
Impingement
 Anterior
Anterior major
major connector
connector moves
moves toward
toward tissue
tissue
as
as the
the posterior
posterior portion
portion isis loaded
loaded
 Space
Space needed
needed more
more when
when ridge
ridgeisis less
lessvertical
vertical

(Fig 2-33, Stewart's)

Mandibular
Mandibular Major
Major Connector
Connector Relief
Relief
 Eliminates
Eliminates impingement
impingement
 Wax
Wax spacer
spacer (relief)
(relief) placed
placed under
under major
major
connector
connector
 one
one thickness
thickness of
of 30
30 gauge
gauge wax
wax
Lingual
Lingual Plate
Plate (Linguoplate)
(Linguoplate)
 Lingual
Lingual bar
bar with
with extension
extension over
over cingula
cingula of
of
anterior
anterior teeth
teeth
 Use
Use where
where aa lingual
lingual bar
bar cannot
cannot be
beused
used
 Lingual
Lingual Plate
Plate Indications
Indications
 Potential
Potential Impingement
Impingement from from lingual
lingual bar
bar
High
High floor
floor of
of the
the mouth
mouth
Prominent
Prominent lingual
lingual frenum
frenum
Lingual
Lingual tori
tori
Lingual
Lingual Plate
Plate
 Rest
Rest at
at each
each end
end ofof lingual
lingual plate
plate
 Prevents
Prevents forces
forces being
being directed
directed facially
facially
 Easier
Easier denture
denture tooth
tooth addition
addition than
than bar
bar
Lingual
Lingual Plate
Plate Variations
Variations
 May
May show
show through
through embrasures
embrasures

(Fig 2-41 & 43, Stewart's)

Continuous
Continuous Bar
Bar Retainer
Retainer
(Kennedy
(Kennedy Bar,
Bar, Double
Double Lingual
Lingual Bar)
Bar)

 Lingual
Lingual bar
bar with
with secondary
secondary bar
bar above
above
cingula
cingula
 Secondary
Secondary bar
bar acts
acts as
as indirect
indirect retainer
retainer
Continuous
Continuous Bar
Bar Retainer
Retainer

 Potential
Potential food
food trap
trap between
between two
two bars
bars
 Normally
Normally avoid
avoid
Maxillary
Maxillary Major
Major Connectors
Connectors
 Anterior-Posterior
Anterior-Posterior Palatal
Palatal Strap
Strap
 Full
Full Palatal
Palatal Strap
Strap
 Palatal
Palatal Strap
Strap
 Anterior
Anterior Palatal
Palatal Strap
Strap
Maxillary
Maxillary Major
Major Connectors
Connectors
 Terminate
Terminate 4.0
4.0 mm
mm or
or more
more from
from free
free
gingival
gingival margin
margin when
when possible
possible
Anterior-Posterior
Anterior-Posterior Palatal
Palatal Strap
Strap
 Maximum
Maximum rigidity
rigidity
 Minimum
Minimum bulk
bulk
 Use
Use in
in most
most cases
cases
 Especially
Especially torus
torus palatinus
palatinus
Anterior-Posterior
Anterior-Posterior Palatal
Palatal Bar
Bar
 A
A narrow
narrow (A-P)
(A-P) variation
variation of
of anterior-
anterior-
posterior
posterior palatal
palatal strap
strap
Double
Double palatal
palatal bar
bar connector
connector
Requires
Requires greater
greater bulk
bulk for
for rigidity
rigidity
Anterior-Posterior
Anterior-Posterior Palatal
Palatal Bar
Bar
 More
More objectionable
objectionable to
to the
the patient
patient
 Strap
Strap connectors
connectors provide
provide greater
greater
distribution
distribution of
of stresses
stresses
Full
Full Palatal
Palatal Plate
Plate
 Maximum
Maximum tissuetissue support
support
 Connector
Connector of of choice
choice in
in long
long distal
distal
extension
extension cases
cases
 Six
Six or
or less
less anterior
anterior teeth
teeth remain
remain
Full
Full Palatal
Palatal Plate
Plate
 Abutments
Abutments areare periodontally
periodontally involved
involved
 Maximum
Maximum stress
stress distribution
distribution
 Flabby
Flabby tissue
tissue
 Shallow
Shallow palatal
palatal vault
vault
Full
Full Palatal
Palatal Plate
Plate
 Greater
Greater stability
stability and
and stress
stress distribution
distribution
 Not
Not used
used with
with torus
torus
 Increases
Increases retention
retention
Full
Full Palatal
Palatal Plate
Plate
 Connector
Connector should:
should:
Be
Be fabricated
fabricated of
of uniformly
uniformly thin
thin metal
metal
Have
Have accurate
accurate anatomic
anatomic reproduction
reproduction
of
of the
the ruggae
ruggae
improves
improves strength
strength and
and rigidity
rigidity
Full
Full Palatal
Palatal Plate
Plate
 Connector
Connector should:
should:
 Cover
Cover same
same area
area as
as complete
complete denture
denture
posteriorly
posteriorly
 Have
Have large
large surface
surface area
area of
of mucosal
mucosal contact
contact
improves
improves potential
potential for
for retention
retention
Full
Full Palatal
Palatal Plate
Plate
 Generally
Generally of
of cast
cast metal
metal
 Acrylic
Acrylic resin
resin used
used in
in interim
interim prostheses
prostheses
Palatal
Palatal Strap
Strap
 Usually
Usually use
use for
for Class
Class III
III &
& IV
IV cases
cases
 Wide
Wide anterio-posteriorly
anterio-posteriorly
Palatal
Palatal Bar
Bar
 Don’t
Don’tuse
use
 Narrow
Narrowanterio-posteriorly
anterio-posteriorly
 Thick
Thickoccluso-gingivally
occluso-gingivally
 Palatal
Palatalbar
barobjectionable
objectionabledue
dueto
tobulk
bulk

(Fig 2-24, Stewart's)

Palatal
Palatal Strap
Strap (or
(or Bar)
Bar)
 Never
Never use
use in
in cases
cases involving
involving distal
distal extensions
extensions or or
replacement
replacement of of anterior
anterior teeth
teeth since
since itit must
must be
be
made
made bulky
bulky for
for rigidity
rigidity
 Relief
Relief may
may bebe required
required over
over bony
bony midline
midline
 Not
Not used
used with
with torus
torus
Anterior
Anterior Palatal
Palatal Plate
Plate
(U-Shaped
(U-Shaped or
or "Horse-Shoe"
"Horse-Shoe" Palatal
Palatal Connector)
Connector)

 Poor
Poor connector
connector
 Never
Never use
use unless
unless
absolutely
absolutely necessary
necessary
 Requires
Requires bulk
bulk inin the
the
rugae
rugae area
area (where
(where
the
the tongue
tongue requires
requires
freedom)
freedom) for
for rigidity
rigidity
Anterior
Anterior Palatal
Palatal Plate
Plate

 Too
Too flexible
flexible
 Allows
Allows movement
movement at at the
the posterior
posterior
 Traumatic
Traumatic to to the
the residual
residual ridge
ridge
 Use
Use only
only where
where torus
torus prohibits
prohibits other
other
connectors
connectors
Flexes, impinging on soft tissue
Unilateral
Unilateral RPD
RPD

 Dangerous
Dangerous
Avoid
Avoid
aspiration
aspiration