Connnectors in FPD

1. DR SRINIVAS REDDY
MDS
DEPT OF PROSTHODONTICS
NAVODAYA DENTAL COLLEGE

2.  Connectors are the components of a fixed partial
dental prosthesis or splints that join the individual
retainers and pontics together.

3. Classification:
1. Rigid Connectors
2. Non Rigid Connectors
1. Tenon mortise Connectors
2. Loop Connectors
3. Split Pontic Connectors
4. Cross pin and wing Connectors

5.  Rigid Connectors in metal can be made by
 Casting,
 Soldering
 Welding

6. Cast Connectors
 They are shaped in wax as a multiunit wax pattern.
 Advantages:
 Convenient and minimize the number of steps involved in
lab fabrication.
 Disadvantages:
 Fit of individual retainers may be adversely affected due to
distortion of wax pattern

7. Soldered Connectors
 They use an intermediate metal alloy whose melting temperature is
lower than that of parent metal.
 Indications
- there is distortion in a single-piece fixed partial denture
casting
 Disadvantages:
 Due to dirt or surface oxides the solder does not flow at the
solder joint making it weak.

8. Welding method
 Here connection is created by melting adjacent surfaces with
heat or pressure.

9. Soldering
 The filler metal has a melting point below 450 deg C
(842 deg F).
Brazing
 The filler metal has a melting point above 450 deg C
(842 deg F).

11. Indications
 In cases where single path of insertion cannot be
achieved due to non parallel abutments.
 These connectors allow limited movement
between retainer and pontic.

12. Tenon Mortise Connectors
 It consists of tenon (male component) prepared within the
contours of the retainer and a mortise (female component)
attached to the pontic.
 Placement: Mortise is placed on the distalaspect of the pier
abutment

13. Design of mortise (Female component):
 Accurate alignment of the dovetail or cylindrically shaped
mortise is crucial.
 It must be parallel to the path of placement of the distal
retainer.
 Paralleling can be achieved by dental surveyor.

14. Design of Tenon (Male Component):
 Fabricated by autopolymerising resin and attached to the
pontic.
Prefabricated plastic component of the mortise and tenon of
a non rigid connector.

15. Loop Connectors
 Indications:
 When an existing diastema is to be maintainted
in a planned FPD.
 Consists of a loop on the lingual aspect of the
prosthesis that connects adjacent retainers or
pontics.
Design :
Cast from platinum gold palladium alloy wire.

16. Split Pontic Connectors
 Indications:
 Used in cases with pier abutment.
Design :
 Connector is incorporated within the pontic.
 The pontic is split into mesial and distal segments.
 Each of these are attached to their respective retainers.

17. Design :
 The mesial segment is
fabricated with a shoe/key.
 The distal segment is fabricated
with a key way to fit over the
shoe.
 The two components are
designed by aligning in a
surveyor.

18. Cross Pin and Wing Connectors
 Indications:
 Used in cases with tilted abutments.
Design :
 The wing is attached to the distal retainer.
 The wing along with the distal retainer are termed as
the retainer wing component.

19. Design :
 The pontic is attached to the mesial retainer and is
designed to fit to the wing in the retainer wing
component.
 The pontic along with the mesial retainer is termed as
Retainer Pontic Component.

20. Design :
 After fabricating the retainer wing
and retainer pontic components,
they are aligned on the working cast
and the 0.7 mm pin hole is drilled
across the wing and pontic using a
drill.

23. Thank You