BIOMECHANICAL PRINCIPLES

OF TOOTH PREPARATION IN
FDP
DEFINITION
TOOTH PREPARATION: (GPT 9)
• The process of removal of diseased and/or healthy
enamel and dentin and cementum to shape a tooth to
receive a restoration
• The resulting prepared tooth
 PRINCIPLES OF TOOTH
PREPARATION
• Biological - maintenance of pulp
vitality, adjacent teeth & soft
tissues -conservation of tooth
structure
• Mechanical - retention &
resistance
• Esthetic - minimal display of
metal - adequate thickness of
porcelain - proper shade matching
GUIDELINES FOR TOOTH
PREPARATION
• Total occlusal convergence
• Occlusocervical / incisocervical dimension
• Ratio of OC and FL dimension
• Circumferential form of the prepared tooth
• Reduction uniformity
• Reduction depths
• Finish line location
• Line angle form

Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am

2004; 48: 359-85.
PRINCIPLES OF TOOTH
PREPARATION
Preservation of tooth structure

Retention & Resistance

Structural durability

Marginal integrity

Preservation of the periodontium

 PRESERVATION OF TOOTH
STRUCTURE
• Use of partial-coverage
• Minimum practical convergence angle (taper)
• Reduction follows anatomic planes
• Even removal tooth structure in axial surface;
orthodontic repositioning if required
• Conservative margin
• Avoidance of apical extension of the
preparation
RETENTION AND RESISTANCE
FORM
• Retention is the ability of the
preparation to impede removal of the
restoration along the path of insertion.

• Resistance prevents dislodgment of

the restoration by forces directed in
an apical, oblique or horizontal
direction and prevents any movement
of the restoration under occlusal
forces.
 RETENTION FORM

Roughness
Magnitude of the Film
Geometry Materials
of fitting thickness of
of the tooth being
dislodging surface of the luting
preparation cemented
forces the agent
restoration
MAGNITUDE OF DISLODGING
FORCES
FDP subject to
dislodging forces

Flossing under the

Sticky food
connectors
GEOMETRY OF TOOTH
PREPARATION
• Restrained movement (eg. Nut and bolt )
• Sliding pair – two cylindrical surfaces constrained to
slide along one another
GEOMETRY OF TOOTH
PREPARATION
Taper / Total Occlusal
Convergence (TOC)
Substitution of internal
features
Path of insertion
Freedom of
displacement
Length and Surface
area
Stress concentration

Type of preparation
TAPER
• Inclination relationship of one wall of a preparation to
the long axis of that preparation
• Tapered diamond bur: 2-3° inclination
• Opposing surfaces with 3° inclination= 6° taper
TAPER
• Parallel walls – maximum retention
• Minimum taper given to:
1. visualize the prepared walls
2. prevent undercuts
3. permit more nearly complete seating of restorations
during cementation
• Ideal taper: 6°
• Optimum taper: 2 ° – 6.5 °
TAPER AND RETENTION
• More the taper, lesser the retention

Jorgenson KD. The relationship between retention and convergence angle in

cemented veneer crowns. Acta Odontol Scand 1955 Feb;59(2):94-8.
TOTAL OCCLUSAL
CONVERGENCE
• Angle between two opposing prepared axial surfaces
Historically TOC : 2° - 6°
• Clinical goal : 10°- 22°
• TOC beyond 10° - 22° : auxilliary features needed
• Resistance testing was found to be more sensitive to
changes in the TOC than retention testing

Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am 2004;
48: 359-85.
Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am 2004; 48: 359-85.
SUBSTITUTION OF INTERNAL
FEATURES
• Basic unit of retention: opposing walls with minimal
taper
• Opposing walls not available for use:
1. Destroyed previously
2. Partial veneer restorations
3. Greater than desirable inclination
• Internal features like boxes, grooves and pinholes
used.
PATH OF INSERTION
• Imaginary line along which the restoration will be placed
onto and removed from the preparation
• Paths of all FDP abutments must parallel each other
VISUAL SURVEY
• Ensures preparation is neither undercut or overtapered
• Center of the occlusal surface of the preparation is
viewed with one eye from a distance of 30 cm (12”)
• Binocular vision avoided: undercut preparation can
appear to have an acceptable taper
VISUAL SURVEY
• In patient’s mouth – mouth mirror is held at an angle
approximately ½ inch above the preparation
• Image viewed with one eye
• FDP abutments– common path of insertion
• Firm finger rest established – mirror maneuvered until
one preparation is centered– mirror moved by pivoting
on the finger rest without change in angulation till the
2nd preparation is centered
• Path of insertion considered in 2 dimensions:
mesiodistally and faciolingually.
• Mesio-distal inclination: parallel to contact areas of
adjacent teeth
• Faciolingual orientation - affects esthetics of metal
ceramic and partial veneer crowns

Facially inclined path of insertion

prominent facio-occlusal line angle

overcontouring or opaque show-through

For full veneer crowns
• parallel to long axis of the tooth

Posterior ¾ crown
• parallel to long axis of the tooth

Anterior ¾ crown
• parallel to incisal ½ of the labial surface
FREEDOM OF DISPLACEMENT
• Numbers of paths along which a restoration can be
removed from the tooth preparation
• Only one path – maximum retention
LENGTH AND SURFACE AREA
• Longer preparation – more surface area – more
retentive
• Length must be great enough to interfere with the arc of
the casting pivoting about a point on margin on
opposite side of restoration
• Short preparations – inclination critical
• Smaller tooth - short rotation
radius

• Grooves in the axial walls-

reduce the rotation radius
STRESS CONCENTRATION
• Retentive failure occurs - cohesive failure in cement
• Stress concentration- around the junction of axial and
occlusal surfaces
• Rounding the internal line angles
TYPE OF PREPARATION
• Complete crowns > partial coverage crowns
• Adding groove/ boxes increases retention
RG, Shillingburg HT Jr, Duncanson MG Jr,Retention and resistance of preparations for cast
restorations. J Prosthet Dent. 1980 Mar;43(3):303-8
ROUGHNESS OF FITTING SURFACE OF THE
RESTORATION
• Roughening/grooving the restoration: retention
increased
• Prepared by air-abrading the fitting surface with 50 µm
of alumina
• Airborne particle abrasion - increase in vitro retention by
64%
• Prepared tooth surface not highly polished: cement
adhesion depends on the irregularities.
MATERIALS BEING CEMENTED
• Retention affected both by the casting alloy and the
core build-up material
• The more reactive the alloy is, the more adhesion there
will be with certain luting agents
LUTING AGENT BEING USED
• Adhesive cements- most retentive
• Film thickness of luting agent- effect not certain
• Adhesive resin> Glass ionomer> Zinc Phosphate=
Polycarboxylate> ZnO-E
FACTORS INFLUENCING RETENTION OF
CEMENTED RESTORATION
RESISTANCE FORM
• Dislodging forces
• Luting agent being used
• Geometry of the tooth preparation
DISLODGING FORCES
• Mastication and parafunctional activity - horizontal or
oblique forces
• Lateral forces displace the restoration by causing
rotation around the gingival margin
LUTING AGENT BEING USED
• Resistance to deformation affected by compressive
strength and modulus of elasticity
• Adhesive resin> Glass ionomer> Zinc Phosphate>
Polycarboxylate> ZnO-E
GEOMETRY OF TOOTH
PREPARATION
• Type of preparation
• Freedom of displacement
• Occlusocervical/incisocervical dimension
• Ratio of OC and FL dimension
• Circumferential form of the prepared tooth
TYPE OF PREPARATION
• Partial coverage restoration< complete crown (no
buccal resistance areas in partial coverage)
• Adding groove/ boxes increases resistance (greatest if
walls are perpendicular to direction of force)
FREEDOM OF DISPLACEMENT
GROOVE
• Lingual wall perpendicular to
the direction of force
• Oblique angle
• V-shaped groove

 PROXIMAL BOX
• Buccal and lingual walls must
meet the pulpal wall at 90°
• Oblique angle
OCCLUSOCERVICAL/ INCISOCERVICAL
DIMENSION
Minimal OC dimension:
• Anteriors - 3mm
• Premolars - 3mm
• Molars - 4mm
Occlusocervical dimension Total occlusal convergence

1mm <60
2mm <120
3mm <170

Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am 2004; 48: 359-
85.
RATIO OF OCCLUSOCERVICAL TO
FACIOLINGUAL DIMENSION
• Should be 0.4 or higher for all teeth

OC/FL Ratio Total occlusal convergence

0.1 <60
0.2 <120
0.3 <180
0.4 <240

Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am 2004; 48: 359-
85.
CIRCUMFERENCE FORM OF PREPARED
TOOTH
• Should possess circumferential irregularity
1. Maxillary molars – rhomboidal form
2. Mandibular molars – rectangular form
3. Premolars and anteriors – oval form

• Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am 2004; 48: 359-85.
 • Preserve corners of a tooth preparation

Chewing and parafunctional habits

Dislodging forces largely faciolingually

So, grooves and boxes on the proximal surfaces

Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am 2004; 48: 359-
85.
STRUCTURAL DURABILITY
• A restoration must contain a bulk of material that is
adequate to withstand the forces of occlusion
• Bulk should be confined to the space created by the
tooth preparation
• To provide adequate bulk:
1. Occlusal reduction
2. Functional cusp bevel
3. Axial reduction
OCCLUSAL REDUCTION
Full metal restoration:
• 1.5 mm – functional cusp
• 1mm – non functional cusp

All ceramic crowns :

• 2mm over all
Metal-ceramic crowns :
• 1.5 to 2mm – functional cusp
• 1 to 1.5mm – non functional cusp
Adequate reduction Inadequate clearance
Overpreparation
FUNCTIONAL CUSP BEVEL
• Wide bevel on-
1. Lingual inclines of the maxillary lingual cusps
2. Buccal inclines of mandibular buccal cusps
• To provideaAdequate bulk of metal in area of heavy
occlusal contact
• Lack of functional cusp bevel:

Thin area in casting Overcontouring Overinclination

AXIAL REDUCTION
• Thin walls of casting– subject to distortion
• Overcontouring- disastrous effect on the periodontium
• Al-Fouzan et al quantified the volume of reduction of
tooth structure associated with different commonly used
preparation designs using microcomputed tomography
• The all-ceramic crown preparation design for the
mandibular central incisors had the highest percentage
(65.26% ± 4.14%) of tooth structure reduction, while
the lowest percentage of tooth structure reduction was
associated with the ceramic veneer preparation design
for maxillary central incisors (30.28% ± 5.54%)

• Al-Fouzan A.F Volumetric measurements of removed tooth structure associated with various
preparation designs Int J Prosthodont 2013;26:545–8
MARGINAL INTEGRITY
• Closely adapted margins to finish lines of preparation:
survival of restoration in the oral environment
• Configuration of finish line:
1. dictates the shape and bulk of metal at the margins
2. affects the marginal adaptation
3. affects degree of seating
FINISH LINE CONFIGURATION
• Chamfer
• Heavy chamfer
• Shoulder
• Sloped shoulder
• Radial shoulder
• Shoulder with a bevel
• Knife edge
a) Knife edge; (b) bevel; (c) chamfer;
(d) shoulder; (e) bevelled shoulder.
CHAMFER
Indications-
• Cast metal crowns
• Metal-only portion of PFM crowns
Distinct, easily identified
Least stress
Round end tapered diamond
• Half the tip of the diamond
HEAVY CHAMFER
Indicated for all-ceramic
crowns
• 90 degree cavosurface angle
with a large radius rounded
internal angle
• Round end tapered diamond
• Bevel added - to use with metal
restoration
 SHOULDER
All-ceramic crowns
Facial margin of PFM crowns
Wide ledge-
• Resistance to occlusal forces
• Minimizes stresses which leads to
fracture of porcelain
Flat-end tapered bur
Healthy contours
Maximum esthetics
• Destruction of more tooth structure
Sharp 90° internal line angle

concentrates stress on tooth

Coronal fracture
• Not used for cast metal restorations
SLOPED SHOULDER
• 120° sloped shoulder margin
• Facial margin of a metal-ceramic crown
• No unsupported enamel, yet sufficient bulk to allow
thinning of the metal framework to a knife-edge for
acceptable esthetics
RADIAL SHOULDER
• Modified shoulder
• Cavosurface 90°
• Shoulder width lessened with
rounded internal angles
• Lesser stress concentration
• Good support for porcelain
SHOULDER WITH BEVEL
Indications:
• Proximal box of inlays, onlays
• Occlusal shoulder of onlays and
mandibular ¾ crowns
• Facial finish line of metal-ceramic
restorations (gingival esthetics not
critical)
• Situations where a shoulder is
already present(destruction by
caries, previous restorations)
Bevel:
• allows the cast metal margin to be bent or
burnished against the prepared tooth
structure
• minimizes the marginal discrepancy
• removes unsupported enamel
KNIFE EDGE
• Permit acute margin of metal
• Axial reduction may fade out
• Thin margin - difficult to wax and cast
• Susceptible to distortion
• Indications:
1. Mandibular posterior teeth with very
convex axial surfaces
2. Lingually tilted lower molars
 REDUCTION DEPTHS
All metal crowns –
• Chamfer depth: 0.3 - 0.5 mm
• Axial surface reduction: 0.5 - 0.8 mm
• Occlusal reduction: 1-1.5 mm
Metal ceramic crowns –
• Finish line depth: 1-1.5 mm
• Occlusal reduction: 2mm
All ceramic crowns–
• Finish line and facial reduction depth: 1mm
• Incisal/occlusal reduction: 2mm

Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am 2004; 48:
359-85.
 REDUCTION UNIFORMITY
• Uniformly reduced :
1. normal crown form
2. improved aesthetic
• Makes easier for laboratory technician to create esthetic
restorations
• Best achieved by placing depth grooves

Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am 2004; 48: 359-
85.
 LINE ANGLE FORM
• Should be rounded (increases crown strength)
• Sharp line angles – stress concentration
• Facilitates laboratory fabrication and fit
• Ease to pour impressions

Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal success. Dent Clin N Am 2004; 48: 359-
85.
PRESERVATION OF
PERIODONTIUM
MARGIN PLACEMENT
• Direct effect on ultimate success of restoration
• Margins should be as smooth as possible
• Placed in area that can be finished well by the dentist
and kept clean by the patient
• Placed in enamel whenever possible
• Should be supragingival whenever possible
Supragingival margins
• Less potential for soft tissue damage
• Easily prepared and finished
• More easily kept clean
• Impressions are more easily made
• Restorations easily evaluated at recall
appointments
Subgingival margins:
• Esthetics
• Existing caries, cervical erosion, or restorations
extend subgingivally, and crown-lengthening is
not indicated
• Proximal contact area extends to the gingival
crest
• Additional retention is needed
• Margin of a metal-ceramic crown is to be hidden
behind the labiogingival crest
• Root sensitivity cannot be controlled by more
conservative procedures, such as the application
of dentin bonding agents
• Finish line should not be closer than 2mm to the
alveolar crest
• Placement in this area –
• gingival inflammation
• loss of alveolar crest height
• pocket formation
MARGIN ADAPTATION
• Junction between a cemented restoration and the tooth:
potential site for recurrent caries
• Casting- fits within 10 μm
• Porcelain margin- 50 μm
• Stepped irregular margin- poor adaptation
DAMAGE PREVENTION DURING TOOTH
PREPARATION
ADJACENT TEETH:
• Iatrogenic damage
• Metal matrix band
• Leave a slight lip or fin of proximal enamel
SOFT TISSUES:
• Careful retraction of lips, cheeks
• Care to protect tongue when lingual surfaces of
mandibular molars prepared
PULP:
• Temperature
• Chemical action of cements
Borelli et al In vitro analysis of residual tooth structure of maxillary anterior teeth after different
prosthetic finish line preparations for full-coverage single crowns Journal of Oral Science, Vol. 55, No.
1, 79-84, 2013
Different preparation depths and effect of coolant:
With/without coolants
Rise in temperature was noted without coolants
• 1mm depth – 0.540 C
• 2mm depth – 10 C
• 3 mm depth - 1.840 C
Drop in temperature was noted with coolants
• 1mm depth – 0.400 C
• 2mm depth – 0.820 C
• 3mm depth – 1.130 C

Chhatwal N. Effect of tooth preparation and coolants on temperature within the pulp chamber. TPDI 2010;1(2):45-48.
SUMMARY
• Often these principles conflict, and the practitioner
must decide how the restoration should be designed.
One area may be given too much emphasis, and the
long-term success of the procedure may be limited by a
lack of consideration of other factors.

• Each tooth preparation must be measured by clearly

defined criteria, which can be used to identify and
correct problems. Diagnostic tooth preparations and
evaluative impressions are often very helpful.
 REFERENCES
• Shillingburg HT, Fundamentals of Fixed Prosthodontics, 4th
edition, USA, Quintessence publications,2012, pp119-137.
• Rosenstiel SF, Contemporary Fixed Prosthodontics, 4th
edition, USA, Mosby, 2006, pp 166-201.
• Goodacre C J. Designing tooth preparations for optimal
success. Dent Clin N Am 2004; 48: 359-85.
• Borelli etal In vitro analysis of residual tooth structure
omaxillary anterior teeth after different prosthetic finish
line preparations for full-coverage single crowns Journal of
Oral Science, Vol. 55, No. 1, 79-84, 2013
• Al-Fouzan A.F Volumetric measurements of removed
tooth structure associated with various preparation
designs Int J Prosthodont 2013;26:545–8
• Parker MH. Resistance form in tooth preparations. Dent
Clin N Am 2004; 48: 387-96.
• Owen CP, Retention and resistance in preparations for
extracoronal restorations. Part II: Practical and clinical
studies, J Prosthet Dent 1986;56(2):148-153.
• Gilboe DB, Teteruck WR. Fundamentals of extracoronal
tooth preparation. Part I-Retention and resistance form. J
Prosthet Dent 2005;94:105-7.
• Chhatwal N. Effect of tooth preparation and coolants on
temperature within the pulp chamber. TPDI
2010;1(2):45-48.
THANK YOU!