SIUST, College of Dentistry

Removable Prosthodontics, Lec.8

Rests & Rest Seat Preparation

Rest is a rigid extension of partial denture which rest on occlusal, incisal
and lingual surface of a tooth, and its rigid stabilizing extension of P.D.
which contacts remaining tooth or teeth to dissipate vertical or horizontal
forces.

Rest seat is that portion of the tooth that have been selected and prepared
to receive a rest.

Types of Rests:

1. Occlusal rest.

2. Lingual rest.

3. Incisal rest.

Functions of Rests:

The primary purpose of occlusal rest is to provide a vertical support for the
P.D. In doing so, it also does the following:

1. Maintains components in its planned positions.

2. Prevents sinking of the denture.

3. Prevents impingement of the soft tissues.

4. Directs and distributes occlusal loads to abutment teeth.

Requirements & Characteristics of Rests:

1. Should have sufficient thickness of metal to prevent breakage

especially over the marginal ridge.

2. It should fit the rest seat accurately with beveled margins, properly
contoured, thus preventing food stagnation or impaction.

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SIUST, College of Dentistry
Removable Prosthodontics, Lec.8

3. The angle formed by the occlusal rest & the vertical minor connector
from which it originates should be at less than 90˚. Only this way can
the occlusal forces be directed along the long axis of the abutment
tooth.

An angle greater than 90˚, fails to transmit occlusal forces along the
supporting vertical axis of abutment tooth & ends with orthodontic-like
movement of the abutment tooth.

4. The rest seat should be extended as close to the center of the tooth
as possible.

5. It may rest in a natural depression on the occlusal surface of the

tooth, or it may occupy a rest seat prepared:

ü In the enamel.

ü In an inlay.

ü In cast crown.

ü On amalgam filling. Keeping in mined that the amalgam is a

brittle material and may fracture or it may creep.

6. It should cover 1/3 of the width of the marginal ridge.

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SIUST, College of Dentistry
Removable Prosthodontics, Lec.8

The thickness of the rest depends on:

1. The type of alloy used.

2. The heaviness of the occlusion or the bite.

3. Whether the rest is opposed by natural teeth or artificial teeth.

There are several points which should be put into consideration in

determination of the site and form of the rests:

1. Root form.

2. Root length.

3. Inclination of the tooth.

4. Ratio of the length of the clinical crown to the alveolar support.

Form of the Occlusal Rest Seat:

1. The outline form of occlusal rest seat should be rounded triangular

shape with apex toward the center of the
occlusal surface.

2. It should be as long as it is wide, & the

base of the triangular shape (at the marginal
ridge) should be 1/3 of the bucco-lingual
dimension or 1/2 the width of the tooth measured
from cusp tips.

3. The marginal ridge of the abutment tooth at the site of the rest seat
must be lowered about 1.5 mm permitting enough and good bulk of
the metal for strength and rigidity of rest and minor connector. This
means that a reduction of approximately 1.5 mm is usually
necessary.

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SIUST, College of Dentistry
Removable Prosthodontics, Lec.8

4. The floor of the occlusal rest seat should be apical to the marginal
ridge & the occlusal surface, and should be concave, or spoon
shaped.

Lingual Rest & Rest Seat:

v The more preferable site for an external rest is the occlusal

surfaces of the molars and premolars. But if only the anterior
teeth are present, they can be used for support of the denture.

v The canine is more preferable than incisors and when the

canine is not present, multiple rests spread over several
incisors teeth are preferable to the use of single incisor.

v Lingual rest seat should be prepared on enamel and it has

rounded v-shape at the junction of the gingival and middle
third of the tooth and the apex directed incisally.

Chromium-cobalt lingual rest

seats on mandibular canine
retained by resin cement with
acid-etched tooth preparation.

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SIUST, College of Dentistry
Removable Prosthodontics, Lec.8

Incisal Rest & Rest Seat:

v Lingual rests are preferable to an incisal rest. They are more

esthetically acceptable than incisal rests.

v Incisal rests are used as auxiliary rests or as indirect retainer.

v The incisal rest seat is prepared in the form of a rounded notch

at an incisal angle or on an incisal edge and should be
approximately 2.5 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep and should be
beveled both labially and lingually, so that the rest will be
strong and without having to exceed the natural contour of the
incisal edge.

By
Noor Al-Deen M. Al-Khanati

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