DIRECT RETAINERS

DEF
• DR is unit of the RPD that engaged abutment
tooth in such manner to resist displacement of
the prosthesis away from the basal seat
tissues
 TYPES

1- Intra-coronal DR
with in the contour of the clinical crown
eg percision & semipercision attachments
2- Extra-coronal DR
outside the contour of the clinical crown of
the tooth eg clasp & attachments
 Intra-coronal DR
• It provides retention through vertical wall built in to
crown of the abutment tooth to create frictional
resistance to removal
• Advantages
- elemination of visible retentive& support components
- better esthetic than extra-coronal types
- stimulation of underlying tissues due to intermitent
vertical massage
- better force distribution& vertical support
• Disadvantages
- require preparation of abutment
- require complicated clinical&lab procedure
- wear occurs by time &denture loss its frictional
resistance
- difficult in repair & replacement
- expensive
- not use in distal extension cases except with
stress breaker
• Intracoronal retainer consists of a key and
keyway
 Extracoronal direct retainer

Outside the contour of the crown

of the tooth e.g. clasp
 Extracoronal direct retainer
Component function location
Rest Support Occlusal
Lingual
Incisal

Minor connector Stabilization Proximal surface extending

from prepared marginal
ridge to the junction of
middle & gingival third of
abutment crown

Retentive clasp arm Retention Gingival third of crown in

undercut area
Reciprocal clasp arm Reciprocation Middle third of crown
Stabilization
May act as indirect retainer
• Basic requirements
all clasps must be designed so that they satisfy the
following basic requirements
- Retention
- Support
- Stability
- Reciprocation
- Encirclement
- Passivity
 Retention
• Amount of retention should be minimum
necessary to resist reasonable dislodging force
Support
• It must provide support through the occlusal
rest to prevent cervical movement
 Bracing
• Clasp should provide bracing against
horizontal displacement of the prosthesis
• This achieved through rigid parts of clasp
placed above the survey line ( rest ,minor
connect, and reciprocal arm )
 Encirclement
• More than 180 degrees of the circumference
of the crown either through continous or
interrupted contact to keep clasp confined to
tooth at all times ; even when stress applied
• There should be a minimum of 3 points of
contact, otherwise the clasp can slip off the
abutment tooth
 Passivity
• The retentive clasp arm should be passive (no
active force) until a dislodging force is applied
ie when in place it should not exrt any force
on the tooth; it should not grip the tooth
 Reciprocation
• Each retentive terminal should be opposed by
a reciprocal arm to resist any pressure exerted
on the tooth by retentive arm during insertion
and removal
• Retentive clasps on one side of the arch
should be opposed by retentive clasps on the
other side of the arch to be effective in
retaining the prosthesis
• Reciprocal elements should be located at the
lower part of the middle third of the crown
above the survey line, while the terminal end
of the retentive arms at the gingival third of
the crown below the survey line
• Path of escapement of each retentive clasp
terminal must not be parallel to the path of
removal of the prosthesis
• Clasp retainers indicated in cases of free end
saddles must possess a stress breaking action
to minimize excessive torque on the abutment
• Clasp assembly must be rigid ,except the
terminal retentive end
• Clasp assembly must be smooth and polished
Factors that determine the amount of retention
provided by a particular clasp arm
• The size of the angle of cervical convergence
the bigger the angle the greater the force to dislodge the
clasp
• Flexibility of the clasp arm
-this can be increased by lengthening the arm
-the greater the diameter of the clasp arm ,the lesser will be
the flexibility
- increase taper of the clasp increase its flexibility
- cross sectional form; flat half round form are less flexible
than the round form
- type of the metal used; wrought metal is more flexible than
cast metal
 Classification of extracoronal DRs
1- Supra bulge clasps ( occlusally approaching , circumfrential,
encircling, Aker’s)
the retentive arm approaches the undercut area from the
occlusal direction
2- Infra bulge clasps ( gingivally approaching, bar clasps, Roach
clasp)
the retentive arm approaches the undercut from the
gingival direction eg I bar, Y bar ect
3- Combination clasp
a- ½ clasp is encircling and ½ is bar type or
b- combination of two types of metal chrome, wrought
wire
Suprabulge clasp
Infrabulge clasp
Combination clasp
 Circumfrential clasp(Aker’s)
• Is the most common clasp used for all tooth
supported RPDs b/c of its excellent
support,bracing,and retentive properties
• Only when retentive undercut better
approach with bar clasp arm or when esthetic
will be enhanced bar clasp should be used
• The least complex in design
• Contraindicated in distal extension cases
except with stress breaker device
• Disadvantages
-more tooth surface is covered than with bar
clasp b/c of its occlusal origin
- increased risk of enamel decalcification
- in the mand arch ; more metal is displayed
than with bar clasp arm
- difficult to adjust
Extracoronal circumferential direct
retainer
 Ring clasp
• Is used when a proximal undercut can not be
approach by other means
• Used in isolated badly tilted molar teeth
• Single arm clasp encircles nearly all the tooth
allow the undercut to be approached from the
distal aspect of the tooth
• Used with supporting strut on the non retentive
side (regard as minor connect from which the
retentive arm originate) with or with out auxillary
occlusal rest to prevent further mesial tipping of
the teeth
Ring clasp
Ring clasp
 Back action clasp
• Is a modification of ring clasp with all of the
same disadvantages , no apparent advantage
• No justification for its use
 double Aker) Embrassure clasp(
• Consists of single minor connect ,two occlusal
rests; two retentive arms
• Double occlusal rest serves to avoid
interproximal wedging by the prosthesis)could
cause separation of the abutment teeth and
result in food impaction and clasp
displacement
Embrasure clasp
 Multiple clasp
• Two opposing circumferential clasp joined at the
terminal end ends of the two reciprocal arms
• Uses
-cases in which the PD replaces the entire half of
the dental arch
-splinting of PD affected teeth is needed
-available retentive areas are only adjacent to each
other
• It has disadvantage of utilizing two embrassure
rather than common one
 Half and half clasp
• Consist of circumfrential retentive arm arising
from one direction and reciprocal arm arising
from another direction(opposite side)
• 2nd arm arise from second minor connector;
auxillary occlusal rest may or may not be used
• Provide dual retention; apply only to unilateral
partial denture design
 Reverse action (hairpin)
• It makes a hairpin turn to engage an undercut
below the point of origin
• It is indicated when a proximal undercut must
be used on a posterior abutment and when
tissue undercuts or high tissue attachments
prevent the use of a bar clasp
• Disadvantages
-covers a considerable tooth surface
-increase the functional load on the abutment
-poor esthetics
-trapping of food
-lack of flexibility
Hairpin clasp
 Gingivally approaching clasps
(Bar or Roach)
• Bar clasp arm arises from the denture metal
framework and approach the undercut from
the gingival direction
• Taper from the point of origin from metal
framework
• Flexible clasps indicated in PD with one or
more distal extension bases
• Retentive terminal has different form eg T,Y,I
Bar clasps
Specific indications for using bar clasp
1- small degree of tooth and tissue undercut
exists in the cervical third of the abutment
tooth
2- on abutment for tooth supported PDs or
tooth supported modification areas
3- distal extension base situations
4- situation in which esthetic consideration is
important& cast clasp is indicated
• Contra-indications
-severe tissue and or tooth undercut
-shallow vestibule
-excessive buccal or lingual tilt of the abutment
teeth
 RPI SYSTEM
• Mesio occlusal rest with minor connector
placed in mesiolingual embrassure ,distal
guiding plane extend from the marginal ridge
to the junction between middle and gingival
third prepared to receive a proximal plate
RPI system
 RPA system
• R rest (always mesial)
• P proximal plate (distal)
• A Aker’s retentive arm(always wrought)
• similar to RPI wrought wire suprabulge
retentive arm ; used where infrabulge
approach is not possible
RPA system
 Combination clasp
• It is combination between occlusally &
gingivally approaching clasp arms
• Combination between cast & wrought wire
clasp arms
• Advantages
-flexibility
-adjustubility
-esthetic advantages
• The wrought wire offers line contact with
tooth; so less tooth surface coverage& more
hygienic
• Fatique faliures are less likely to occur with
tapered wrought wire than half round cast
clasp arm
• Disadvantages
-extra step in fabrication
-may distorted by careless handling
-bent by hand ;less accurately adapted and
provide less stabilization
Combination clasp
• Questions
 References
• Stewart’s Clinical Removable Prosthodontics
• McCracken’s Clinical Removable
Prosthodontics
THANKS