Connectors
1
Connectors are those parts of a fixed partial
denture or splint that join the individual
Retainers and Pontics together.
Accomplished with –
Rigid connectors
Non rigid connectors.
2
RIGID CONNECTORS
A cast, soldered, or welded union between
retainer(s) and pontic(s
3
Casted Connectors
NON RIGID CONNECTOR
Any connector that permits limited movement
between otherwise independent members of an FPD.
These are usually indicated when it is impossible
to prepare a common path of insertion for the
abutment preparations for an FPD
RIGID CONNECTORS
Rigid connections in metal can be made by
casting,
soldering,
welding.
Cast connectors :
• shaped in wax as part of a multiunit wax
pattern.
• Cast connectors are convenient and minimize
the number of steps involved in the laboratory
6
fabrication.
The fit of the individual retainers may be
adversely affected because distortion more easily
results when a multiunit wax pattern is removed
from the die system.
7
Soldered connectors
Soldering :
An act of uniting two pieces of metal by proper
alloy of metals.
Involve the use of an intermediate metal alloy
whose melting temperature is lower than that of the
parent metal.
8
An even soldering gap of about 0.25 mm is
recommended.
If a connector area has an uneven soldering gap
width, obtaining a connector of adequate cross-
sectional dimension without resulting distortion is
more difficult.
9
The parts being joined are not melted during
soldering but must be thoroughly wettable by
liquefied solder.
Dirt or surface oxides on the connector
surfaces can reduce wetting and impede
successful soldering; for example, the solder
may melt but will not flow into the soldering
gap.
11
Flux and Antiflux
Flux ::
- Removes oxides and prevents
formation of oxides.
Eg : Borax glass
Antiflux
- Limits the spread of solder.
Eg :graphite
In case of metal ceramics
Casting should be done
Pre ceramic soldering –high fusing solder of
temp 1100 c
Ceramic build up
Post ceramic soldering-low fusing solder of 500 c
were used.
Welding
Method of rigidly joining metal parts by
hammering, compression, or by rendering soft
by heat with addition of fusible material.
Here the connection is created by melting
adjacent surfaces with heat or pressure.
15
In industrial metal working :
• In welding the filler metal has a melting point
below 450 º C (842º F).
• In brazing the filler has a melting point above
450 º C.
16
Rigid connections in dentistry are generally
fabricated above 450 º C, but the process has
almost always been referred to in the dental
literature as soldering.
A proposed international standard uses the term
brazing.
17
CONNECTOR DESIGN
Success of the prosthesis is influenced by
Size
Shape &
Position of connectors
18
Connectors must be sufficiently large to
prevent distortion or fracture during function
but not too large; otherwise, they will
interfere with effective plaque control and
contribute to periodontal breakdown over
time
19
Adequate access (i.e., Embrasure space) must be
available for oral hygiene aids cervical to the
connector.
If a connector is too large incisocervically, hygiene is
impeded and over time periodontal failure will occur.
20
For esthetic FPDs, a large connector or
inappropriate shaping of the individual retainers
may result in display of the metal connector.
The connector should provide adequate access
for the maintenance of oral hygiene.
It should avoid display of metal for achieving
optimum esthetics.
Connector should be curved facio-lingually.
Mesio-distally, it should have a smooth
transition .
Bucco-lingually, it must be Elliptical.
Non rigid connectors
Indications
The existence of Pier abutment ,
which promote a fulcrum-like-situation that can
cause the weakest of the terminal abutments to fail
and may cause intrusion of the pier abutment.
The existence of malaligned abutment , where
parallel preparation might result in devitalisation.
Such situations can be solved through the use of
attachments as connectors.
The presence of mobile teeth , which need to
be splinted together with the fixed
prosthesis.
In such situations, the use of
interlocks, smaller segments can be cemented
which provides splinting effect.
- Long span bridges, which can distort due to
shrinkage and pull of porcelain on thin
sections of framework and thus, affect the
fitting of the prosthesis on the teeth.
- In situations ,where questionable distal
abutment exist and fabrication of the
removable partial denture is considered to be
the next treatment step, the use of the NRC
may solve the problem of repeating the
restoration of the remaining abutments.
It could be also used in cases of
osseointegrated implants.
They are mainly used to relieve
stress on the abutment and to
accommodate malaligned FPD abutments.
In the mandible arch, nonrigid connectors
are indicated when a complex FPD consists
of anterior and posterior segments.
Because during the
mandibular opening and closing stroke, the
mandible flexes mediolaterally.
29
Rigid fixed partial dentures have been shown to inhibit
mandibular flexure, and
extensive splints have been
shown to flex during forced
opening.
The excessive flexing of the
long-span FPD, can lead to
material failure of prosthesis or to an unfavorable
response.
The conventional use of a nonrigid
connector aids in compensating for the difference
in the resistance and retention form between the
abutments.
• The design and passive fit of NRC is critical to
the success of a long-span FPD.
• Segmenting complex mandibular FPDs can
minimize this risk
Four types of NRCs
1. Dovetail (key-keyway) or (Tenon-
Mortise) connectors.
2. Loop connectors.
3. Split connectors.
4. Cross pin and wing connectors.
Loop connectors
Although they are rarely used, loop connectors
are sometimes required when an existing
diastema is to be maintained in a planned fixed
prosthesis.
The connector consists of a loop on the lingual
aspect of the prosthesis that connects adjacent
retainers and/or pontics.
33
The loop may be cast from sprue wax that is circular in
cross section or shaped from a platinum-gold palladium
(Pt-Au-Pd) alloy wire.
Meticulous design is important so that plaque control
will not be impeded
35
Key and keyways
Dovetail
Nonrigid connectors are generated through
incorporation of prefabricated inserts in the wax
pattern or through custom milling procedures after
the first casting has been obtained.
The second part is then custom-fitted to the milled
retainer and cast.
38
Prefabricated inserts
The design of nonrigid connectors that are
incorporated in the wax pattern stage consists of
Mortise (female component) is prepared within
the contours of the retainer
Tenon (male) - pontic
40
Mortise ------distal aspect of the anterior retainer.
Accurate alignment of the dovetail or cylindrically
shaped mortise is critical; it must parallel the path of
withdrawal of the distal retainer
41
42
Paralleling is normally accomplished with a dental
surveyor or special equipment called milling
machine.
When aligning the cast, the path of placement of
the retainer that will be contiguous with the tenon
is identified.
43
ADVANTAGES:
1)Releive stress on abutments.
2)Acts as a splint of periodontically weakened teeth.
3)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.
CONTRAINDICATIONS:
1)Cannot be used in short abutments.
2)Medically compromised patients.
• 3)Patients not willing for extensive tooth preprations. 44
DISADVANTAGES :
1)Time consuming.
2)Cost factor.
3)Require extensive tooth preparation.
45
CROSS PIN AND WING CONNECTORS :
INDICATIONS:
1)The design will be primarily used to accommodate the abutment teeth with
disparate long axis.
2)Used in case of tilted molars.
ADVANTAGES:
1) No need to remove the whole assembly if required.
2) Stress distribution.
3) Reduces the amount of force on abutments.
DISADVANTAGES:
1)Time factor.
2)Additional laboratory steps required for pin fabrication.
3)Technique sensitive.
A LOCKING ROD AND TUBE CONNECTOR
Ronald A Bryant, and Robert R,Faucher, (1983)
- Solderless joints where the connector occurs between
adjacent abutment teeth .
SPLIT PONTIC
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.
ADVANTAGES :
1)When problem occurs only the affected segment can be
removed and repaired or remade.no need to remove the whole
assembly.
2)Stresses that are to be applied are evenly distributed.
3)Allows some degree of movement in function and hence
protects the abutment overloading.
4)Also act as a splint.
DISADVANTAGES :
1)More time consuming.
2)Cost factor.
Fabrication of wax pattern for split pontics:
The wax pattern for the anterior three-unit segment is
fabricated first, with the distal arm attached to the pier
relations.
The underside of the arm is shaped like
the tissue containing area of a pontic.
A surveyor is used to position either key and key way
segment pointing occlusally and the segment must align with
the distal abutment preparation.
Conclusion
Depending upon type of condition existing
in oral cavity and abutment evaluation
proper connector should be selected,
connector with proper design , fabrication
and proper fit in order to have successful
prosthesis.
53
