Conectors in fpd

1. CONNECTORS IN FPD

2.  INTRODUCTION
 DEFINITION
 REQUIREMENTS OF CONNECTORS
 DESIGNING OF CONNECTORS
 RIGID CONNECTORS
 Casted connectors
 Soldered connectors
 Welded connectors
 Loop connectors
 NON-RIGID CONNECTORS
 Dovetail connectors
 Split pontic connectors
 Cross pin & wing connectors
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES

4. “The Connector is that part of a fixed partial
denture or splint that joins the individual
components (retainers and pontics) together”
-RESENSTEIL
“That part of fixed partial denture which
connects pontic and retainer and can be rigid or
non-rigid”
-SHILLINGBURG
“The portion of a fixed partial denture that
unites the retainer(s) and pontic(s)”
-GPT 9

5.  Sufficiently strong to resist all the forces of
mastication
 No likelihood of it wearing and fracturing during a
life time.
 Placed as lingually and incisally as possible for self
cleansing.
 Depth of connector should always be sufficient to
provide adequate strength.
 It should occupy a gap width of about 0.25mm
 Should preserve the interproximal embrasure and
occupy normal anatomic interproximal areas.
 Large to withstand distortion.

6. DESIGNING OF CONNECTORS
HYGIENE
CONSIDERATIONS
BIOLOGIC
CONSIDERATIONS
MECHANICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
AESTHETIC
CONSIDERATIONS

7.  Mesio-distallysmooth transition
 Highly polished tissue surface
 Curved facio-linguallyfacilitate cleansing &
prevent plaque accumulation
 Inciso-cervicallyshould not be bulky
 Occupy with in the normal anatomic inter-
proximal contact areas

8.  pulp size and crown height can be limiting
factors for placement of box in retainers of
nonrigid connectors
 Connectors in anterior region are
placed slightly lingual

9.  Buccolingual cross sectionelliptical shape
 Major axis of ellipse is parallel to the applied force
 But in most cases greater dimension is
perpendicular to the applied forceresulting in
week connection

10.  Large and inappropriately placedmetal
exposure and compromised esthetics
 To improve estheticsslight lingual placement
 Should occupy normal anatomic inter-proximal
area

11. Most commonly used
Ideal for short span
Can be made by:
Casting
Soldering
Welding
Indications
When entire load can be directly transferred
to abutments
Contraindications
Existing diestima is to be preserved
Tilted abutment
Long span bridges

13.  ADVANTAGES:
 Convenient method
 Minimizes the steps in laboratory fabrication
 DISADVANTAGES:
 Difficulty in reflowing proximal margins
 Pattern removal from die is difficult
 Fit of the individual retainer may be affected
 No opportunity to verify fit of individual retainers in
mouth
 CONTRAINDICATIONS: -
1. F.P.D’s more than 3 units
2. Partial veneer F.P.D’s

15.  COMMONLY USED DENTAL SOLDERS:
 Gold solders
 Silver solders
 INDICATIONS:
 FPD’s more than 3 units
 When FPD fabricated by cast connectors exhibit high
marginal discrepancy
 When cast FPD do not have proper fit
 Repair of fractured connectors
 DISADVANTAGES:
 Dirt or surface oxides on the connector surface can reduce
wetting & impede successful soldering

16.  Connector is formed by melting adjacent
surface with heat or pressure
 Filler metal with same melting temperature of
parent metal is used
 Laser welding is commonly used

18.  ADVANTAGES:
 Enhance natural appearance of restoration
 Maintains diastema
 Proper emergence profile
 DISADVANTAGES:
 Requires additional laboratory procedure
 Difficulty in maintenance and oral hygiene
 May effect phonetics, especially linguopalatal
sounds

19. TYPES:
 Dove tail connectors (key and ways) or (tenon – Mortise)
 Split pontic
 Cross pin and wing connectors.
INDICATIONS OF NON-RIGID CONNECTORS
 The existence of Pier abutment
 The existence of malaligned abutment
 Presence of mobile teeth
 Long span FPD
 Presence of questionable distal abutment
 When connecting to osseointegrated implants

21.  ADVANTAGES:
 Relieve stress on abutments.
 Acts as a splint of periodontically weakened teeth.
 Allows for easy repair. In case of fracture, not the whole assembly has to be
repaired only the defective segment has to be removed and repaired.
 DISADVANTAGES:
 Time consuming.
 Cost factor.
 Require extensive tooth preparation.
 INDICATIONS:
 In periodontally weak abutments
 For relieving stress on midspan on long pontics
 In cases of long fixed partial dentures
 In cases of heavy occlusal forces
 CONTRAINDICATIONS:
 Cannot be used in short abutments.
 Medically compromised patients.
 Patients not willing for extensive tooth preparations.

23.  ADVANTAGES:
 When problem occurs only the affected segment can be removed and
repaired or remade. No need to remove the whole assembly.
 Stresses that are to be applied are evenly distributed.
 Allows some degree of movement in function and hence protects the
abutment overloading.
 Also act as a splint.
 DISADVANTAGES:
 More time consuming.
 Cost factor.
 INDICATIONS:
 This is an attachment that is placed within the pontic.
 It is particularly useful in tilted abutment cases, where the
conventional dovetail would necessitate the drastic preparation in the
distal aspect of the pier abutment.
 Used in pier abutments.

25.  ADVANTAGES:
 No need to remove the whole assembly if required.
 Even stress distribution.
 Reduces the amount of force on abutments.
 DISADVANTAGES:
 Time factor.
 Additional laboratory steps required for pin fabrication.
 Technique sensitive.
 INDICATIONS:
 The design will be primarily used to accommodate the abutment
teeth with disparate long axis.
 Used in case of tilted molars.

27.  Fundamental of Fixed Prosthodontics IIIrd
Edition by Herbert T.Shillingburg.
 Contemporary Fixed Prosthodontics IIIrd
Edition by Rosenthal, Land & Fujimoto.
 Yaqoob A, Rasheed N, Ashraf J, Yaqub
G. Nonrigid semi-precision connectors for
FPD. Dent Med Res
2014;2:17-21.
 Karla A, Gowda ME,Verma K. Aesthetic
rehabilotation with multiple loop connectors.
Contemp Clin Dent.2013;4:112-5
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