PARTIAL

RETAINERS
IN FPD

DR VIKAS
AGGARWAL

INTRODUCTION
Covers only part of the clinical.
Includes all tooth surfaces
except the buccal or labial wall
in the preparation.
Whenever feasible, a partialcoverage restoration should be
selected, rather than a
complete veneer, because it
preserves more of the tooth
structure.
However, the preparation is
more demanding and is not
routinely preferred by
practitioners.
Though less retentive and
resistance than complete crown
when prepared carefully gives
long lasting restoration

DEFINITION
Partial veneer crown is defi ned as a
restoration that restores all but one
coronal surface of a tooth or dental
implant abutment, usually not covering
the facial surface.( G.P.T 8 th ed)

INDICATIONS
Single restoration for posterior teeth.
o With moderate loss of tooth structure
(buccal wall intact and well supported
by sound dentin).
o Subjected to average or below
average forces.
o With long and bulky coronal structure.
o With normal anatomic crown form, ie
without cervical constriction.
Retainer for short span FPD.
Restoration or alteration of occlusal
surface.
Re-establish anterior guidance and to
splint teeth

CONTRAINDICATIONS
High caries rate and/or active
periodontal disease.
Retainers for long span FPD.
Poor aligned abutment teeth.
Teeth with Short clinical crown
Teeth with thin crown.
Non vital and have extensive
core restorations.
Proximally bulbous (severe
cervical constriction).

ADVANTAGES
Conserves tooth structure.
Reduced pulpal & periodontal insult
during preparation.
Easy access to margins for fi nishing
(for dentist) and to patient for cleaning
( supra--gingival margins).
Electric pulp testing can be done on the
intact surface.
Complete seating of the restoration can
be easily verifi ed.

DISADVANTAGES
Retention and resistance is less
than that of complete veneer
crown.
Requires dexterity of the operator.
Limited adjustments can be made
in the path of placement.
Some metal display may be
unacceptable to patients.

RESISTANCE AND RETENTION FORM

Auxiliary features (Grooves, Boxes &
Pinholes) Substitute for axial wall:
limit freedom of displacement.
Increase surface area.
Circumferential irregularity.
Reduce the radius of rotation.

RESISTANCE AND RETENTION FORM

Depends on total surface
area of the axial walls
with restricted taper
retention of a complete
crown is more than
double that of partialcoverage restorations
Adding grooves or boxes
to a preparation with a
limited path of
placement does not
markedly affect its
retention, because the
surface area is not
increased significantly.
However, where the
addition of a groove

RESISTANCE AND RETENTION FORM

POTTS RG, SHILLINGBURG HT &

DUNCANSON MG (1980)
Potts RG , Shi ll in gbu rg H T & D un can son MG (1 9 8 0 ) condu cte d
a study to e valuate the e ff e ct of pre par ation de signs on re ten tion
an d re sistanc e. Five pre paration d e sig ns we re use d name ly,
th re e -quarte r p ar tial ven e er crow n with and without axial g rooves ,
se ve n-e igh th s partial ve ne er crow n w ith an d w ithout axial g rooves ,
an d
comple te ven e e r crown without g rooves .
All p re paration d e sig ns we re te ste d for re te ntion an d re sistance
value s.
The y conclu de d that re te ntion valu es for all partial ve ne e r c rowns
we re signifi cantly lowe r than those for the complete ve nee r crow n.
Re sistan ce value s incre ase d signifi can tly with the addition of
groove s and /or exte ns ion of axial surface cove rag e .
Addition of g roove s and/ or exte nsion of axial s urface cove r age
prod uce d s mall in cre as e s in rete ntion value s but marke d incre ase s
in re sistance value s.

KISHIMOTO M, SHILLINGBURG
HT & DUNCANSON MG (1983)
Kishimoto M, Shillingburg HT & Duncanson MG
(1983) conducted a study to show the infl uence of
preparation features on retention and resistance of
three quarter crown.
A nickel-chrome test die was made for each of four
three-quarter crown designs with the following
variations in retention/resistance features:

(1) two round proximal grooves in the lingual

half of the proximal surfaces,
(2) two V-shaped proximal grooves,
(3) four round proximal grooves
(4) two proximal boxes.

 They concluded that the preparations with boxes or

four grooves were the most retentive of all the
designs, whereas, lingual placement of proximal
grooves enhanced the retention.
they also concluded that the three-quarter crowns
with V-shaped grooves were the least resistant of
the preparation designs with retention/resistance
features.

ARMAMENTARIUM
N a rro w ( a p p rox i m a t e l y 0 . 8
m m ) , ro u n d - t i p p e d , t a p e re d
d i a m o n d ( re g u l a r o r c o a r s e
grit)
Re g u l a r- s i z e ( a p p rox i m a t e l y
1 . 2 m m ) , ro u n d t i p p e d ,
t a p e re d d i a m o n d ( fi n e g r i t )
or carbide
Fo o t b a l l - s h a p e d o r w h e e l s h a p e d d i a m o n d ( re g u l a r g r i t )
Ta p e re d a n d s t r a i g h t c a r b i d e
fi s s u re b u r s
S m a l l , ro u n d c a r b i d e b u r
Small-diameter twist drill
Inverted-cone carbide bur
Fi n i s h i n g s t o n e s
M i rro r
E xp l o re r a n d p e r i o d o n t a l
p ro b e
Chisels

TYPES OF PARTIAL VENEER CROWN

POSTERIOR

ANTERIOR

A) THREE QUARTER

A) THREE QUARTER

B)

REVERSE

THREE B) PIN AND LEDGE

QUARTER

C) SEVEN-EIGHTS CROWN

D)
CROWN

PROXIMAL

HALF

MAXILLARY POSTERIOR 3/4 CROWN

Three quarter crown

covers three surfaces
(axial wall) of the
crown leaving one
surface intact.

PREPARATION STEPS (MAXILLARY

PREMOLAR CROWN)
Mark proposed outline of the prep. with pencil.
Occlusal reduction & Functional cusp bevel.
Axial reduction:
Palatal/Lingual reduction.
Proximal reduction.
Proximal Groove or box placement.
Occlusal off set placement.
Buccal contrabevel.
Finishing the preparation.

MARK PROPOSED OUTLINE

Mark the proposed location of the margin of the
completed preparation.

OCCLUSAL REDUCTION
Depth grooves are cut on the
anatomical ridges and grooves of
occlusal surface.
Amount of occlusal reduction
needed :
1.5 mm on functional cusp.
1.0 mm on non--functional cusp.
Concavity on the incline of the
buccal cusp: Suffi cient clearance.
Maintain the occlusocervical
dimension of the buccal wall
ROUND END TAPERED DIAMOND
AND 171 BUR

OCCLUSAL REDUCTION

FUNCTIONAL CUSP BEVEL

1.5 mm clearance.
Follow contours of
opposing tooth.
Maintain contours of
tooth being
prepared.
Prepared by holding
round end tapered
diamond at 45
degree angle to long
axis of preparation

AXIAL REDUCTION
Place grooves for axial alignment
in the centre of the lingual
surface and in the mesiolingual
and distolingual transitional line
angles.
They should be parallel to the
long axis of the tooth.
6-10 degree taper between
opposing axial walls.
Path of withdrawal is very critical

 Chamfer fi nish line:

0.3-0.7 mm axial depth.
0.5 mm supragingival.
Even axial depth , smooth and
continuous.
The chamfer placed
suffi ciently cervical to
provide:
0.6 mm of clearance with the
adjacent tooth.
Axial wall allowing for a
proximal groove of at least 4
mm.

PROXIMAL REDUCTION
Stop the proximal reduction well short of the pencil
mark.
Initial reduction with short needle diamond.
Follow up with chamfer/torpedo diamond.
Avoid:
Damage to adjacent tooth.
Excessive axial reduction.

PROXIMAL GROOVES
As apart of proximal reduction& in order to improve
RESISTANCE AND RETENTION feature of the
preparation proximal grooves should be placed on
each proximal wall
It should be parallel to the long axis of the tooth or
path of insertion,& parallel to each other.
Tapered Carbide fi ssure bur is used to place these
grooves.

 Requirements:
It should cut to full diameter of carbide bur No.171 to
create defi nite lingual wall.
Depth of groove need not be more than 1mm at
cervical end.
It should extend to the full length of proximal wall
(ending about 0.5mm to the chamfer).
It should be placed as far as facially as possible
without undermining facial surface (bet. Middle
&labial third).
It should be parallel to the long axis of the tooth
The grooves should resist lingual displacement
90 degree angle between prepared lingual wall of
groove and the axial surface

 V shaped grooves once widely used provided 68% of

retention and 57% of resistance of rounded or
concave grooves
The criterion that needs to be met consists of the
following:
The grooves should resist lingual displacement of a
periodontal probe or explorer.
The walls of the groove should not be undercut
relative to the selected path of withdrawal.
It should form a defi nite step rather than fading out
The walls should be fl ared towards the intact buccal
surface of the tooth.

PROXIMAL FLARE
Removing of unsupported tooth structure
Done with flame shaped bur

BOXES
Box shaped: Destructive but more retentive.
Used only in:
Proximal caries or previous restoration.
Solder joint is required.
Precision attachment is required .

OCCLUSAL OFFSET
1.0 mm Ledge or V shaped groove on
the lingual incline of the buccal cusp
to join the two grooves.
Stay at uniform distance from
occlusofacial fi nish line.
Not usually necessary for posterior
partial coverage except in:
Group function.
Heavy occlusion.
Provides bulk of metal near fi nish
line.
Important in casting
rigidity /reinforcing staple.
Not for occlusal clearance.
0.5 mm deep (Pulpal).
1.5 mm from facial fi nish line.

BUCCAL CUSP CONTRABEVEL

Connect the mesial and distal fl ares
Contrabevel at 45 degree to buccal surface:
Protect cusp against fracture.
Make proper margin fi nishing.
0.5 mm wide.
Removes unsupported enamel rods.
Not placed for occlusal clearance.
The bevel should remain within the
curvature of the cusp tip rather than extend
onto the buccal wall
This results in a convex shape of the
restoration, and light is prevented from
refl ecting back to a casual observer
Thus, the restoration is less obvious

 The bevel should remain within the curvature of the

cusp tip rather than extend to buccal wall.
The bevel, both fl ares and the chamfer should
connect smoothly to form one continuous fi nish line.

FINISHING
Round all sharp internal
line angles to facilitate
subsequent procedures. A
fi ne-grit diamond or
carbide can be used to
blend the surfaces
Revaluate the fl ares,
paying particular attention
to any remaining
undercuts, which must be
removed.
A minimum clearance of
0.6 mm is recommended

MAXILLARY PREMOLAR CROWN

MANDIBULAR POSTERIOR
QUARTER
Has many features found in the prep. of maxillary
teeth described earlier.
The main diff erence is the buccal cusps of posterior
mandibular teeth is the functional cusps:
The location of the occlusofacial fi nish line on the
buccal surface gingival to occlusal contacts.
Finish line should be bevelled shoulder or accentuated
chamfer:
Bulk of metal.
Tie the grooves.
Reinforcing truss/staple.
No need for Off set on the lingual incline of buccal
cusps.

PREPARATION STEPS (MANDIBULAR

MOLAR CROWNS)
Occlusal reduction & Functional cusp bevel.
Occlusal shoulder.
Axial Reduction & Finish Line.
Proximal Groove.
Proximal fl are &Facial bevel.
Finishing the preparation.

OCCLUSAL REDUCTION AND

FUNCTIONAL CUSP BEVEL

OCCLUSAL SHOULDER

Width of the
shoulder is 1 .00
mm

AXIAL REDUCTION AND FINISH LINE

1.00 mm facial to actual contact is acceptable

PROXIMAL GROOVES AND FLARE

FACIAL BEVEL

Marginal integrity

COMPLETED PREPARATION

REVERSE THREE QUARTER CROWN

In this preparation the
buccal surface is included in
the preparation instead of
the lingual surface.
Used
Restoration of mandibular
molar with damaged buccal
surface and intact lingual
surface to preserve intact
lingual surface.
Mandibular molars with
severe lingual inclinations
to be used as bridge
retainers .

MAXILLARY MOLAR 7/8 CROWN

7 / 8 Crown includes in
addition to surfaces covered
by 3 / 4 Crown, distal half of
Buccal surface.
mesial aspect of this
preparation resembles for a
three quarter crown and the
distal aspect resembles that of
a complete crown.
Used:
When tooth is badly destroyed,
but MB cusp intact and well
supported by sound dentin.
When 3/4 crown lacks
adequate resistance and
retention form (FPD abutment).

PREPARATION STEPS (MAXILLARY

MOLAR 7/8 CROWN)
Occlusal reduction & Functional cusp bevel.
Axial Reduction & Finish Line.
Mesial and buccal Grooves & Flare.
Occlusal Off set & Contrabevel.
Finishing the preparation.

OCCLUSAL REDUCTION AND

FUNCTIONAL CUSP BEVEL

AXIAL REDUCTION AND FINISH

LINES
The mesial half is prepared like a three quarter crown
and the distal half like a complete crown.
Carry the facial reduction suffi ciently to include the
buccal groove or 1.00 mm mesial to buccal
groove

AXIAL REDUCTION AND FINISH

LINES

MESIAL AND BUCCAL GROOVES

AND FLARES
Prepare the mesial groove like the three quarter
crown.
Place the buccal groove parallel to the mesial groove
and perpendicular to the buccoaxial wall. The buccal
groove should resist mesiodistal displacement of a
probe.
A fl ame diamond and carbide bur is used to make the
mesial and facial fl ares which are narrow at the
gingival end and wider occlusally

OCCLUSAL OFFSET
Occlusal off set- No: 171 bur is used to produce a 1.0
mm wide ledge on the lingual incline of the facial cusp
connecting the grooves, assuming the shape of an
inverted V. Its fl oor is perpendicular to the path of
insertion

OCCLUSAL OFFSET AND

CONTRABEVEL
Occlusal Finishing Bevel: A fl ame diamond or no: 170
bur is used for creating an occluso facial fi nishing
bevel. It connects the fl ares of two grooves with a
smooth contrabevel that follows the ridge of the
mesiobuccal cusp. Adequate clearance must be
established interproximally upon completion
Bevel is made right angle to path of insertion and is
0.5 mm in width

PROXIMAL HALF CROWN

crown that is rotated 9 0
de gre e with the distal rathe r
th an bu ccal s urface left intact.
Isthmus and counte rsink are
place d for (str uctu ral
durability and re te ntion and
re s istance ).
U se d on ly in mou ths w ith
exce llent or al h ygie ne and low
in cide n ce of inte r proximal
car ie s
Used
Mandibular molars with se ve re
me sial tilt to be u se d as
bridge re taine rs .
Maxillary molar s whe re it is
diffi cult to gain acce ss to th e
distal s urface s.

OCCLUSAL REDUCTION AND

FUNCTIONAL CUSP BEVEL
Depth orientation grooves are placed on distal
surface (1.5mm) and slightly less on mesial surface
as this segment of tooth is below occlusal plane due
to tilting

MESIAL AXIAL REDUCTION

Begin the axial reduction by making the path of
insertion of mesial surface parallel with the long axis
of premolar abutment.
Continue cutting mesial surface till the torpedo
contacts the whole mesial surface and a chamfer
fi nish line is produced.

FACIAL AND LINGUAL REDUCTION

Facial and lingual axial reduction is done using
torpedo diamond.
End the extension 1.0 mm or more mesial to the
distofacial embrasure. Overextension distally will
leave the vertical fi nish line in a position where it will
be diffi cult to capture in the impression, hard to
fi nish, and impossible for the patient to keep clean

OCCLUSAL ISTHMUS AND

COUNTERSINK
O cclusal isthmus and
countersink prepared us in g
no. 171 bu r.
The addition of an occlusal
isthmus increases bulk and
rigid ity in th e casting as well
as providing much n eeded
retention.
A coun tersin k is added to the
distal fossa with the no. 171
bu r.
This feature n ot only
su pplements retention and
resistance, but it also
provides greater bu lk to the
casting in the critical area
near the distal occlusal
margin.

FACIAL AND LINGUAL GROOVES

Place a groove on the facial surface within 1.0 mm of
the vertical distal extension of the preparation.
The groove should parallel the mesial surface of the
tooth and the long axis of the other abutment tooth .
The groove must also be upright faciolingually and
should not lean to the lingual surface.
Repeat the process on the lingual surface, paralleling
that groove with the one on the facial surface.
Be careful not to place it too far distally. The groove
may be started with a no. 170 bur and fi nished with
the no. 171 to prevent its becoming too large .

FACIAL AND LINGUAL GROOVES

OCCLUSAL OFFSET
Distal occlusal off set prepared using no. 171 bur.
Create a V-shaped off set 0.5 to 1.0 mm from the
distal occlusal fi nish line connecting the lingual
groove to the countersink to the facial groove. It will
produce a rigid staple with the grooves to reinforce
the distal marginal area of the casting

FLARES AND OCCLUSAL BEVEL

Flares and occlusal bevels are prepared using fl ame
diamond and fl ame bur

ANTERIOR PARTIAL VENEER CROWN

The fi rst true anterior three-quarter crown was
developed by Carmichael from wire, foil, and solder
before the advent of an accurate casting technique in
dentistry.
The three quarter crown on an anterior tooth is one of
the most demanding on all tooth preparations.
A well-executed standard three-quarter crown on a
maxillary incisor or canine need not show much metal.
It can be used as a retainer for short-span fi xed partial
dentures on restoration and caries-free abutments.
Well aligned, thick, square anterior teeth with a large
faciolingual bulk of tooth structure are the best
candidates for three quarter crowns

 Two factors must be controlled successfully to

produce a restoration with a minimal display of metal:
(1) Path of insertion and groove placement
(2) Placement and instrumentation of
extensions.
The path of insertion of an anterior three-quarter
crown parallels the incisal one-half to two-thirds of
the labial surface, not the long axis of the tooth.
This gives the grooves a slight lingual inclination,
placing their bases more apically and labially and
making the grooves longer. If the grooves incline
labially, the labioincisal corners are overcut,
displaying metal. The bases of the grooves then move
lingually, becoming shorter and less retentive

PREPARATION OF MAXILLARY
CANINE THREE QUARTER CROWN
LINGUAL REDUCTION
A coarse-grit footballshaped diamond is used to
create a concave lingual
reduction incisal to the
cingulum
create 0.7 mm or more
clearance with opposing
teeth.
depth- orientation cuts are
made on the lingual surface
with a coarse-grit ballshaped diamond whose
head has a diameter 1.4 mm
larger than its shaft. Buried
in enamel to the shaft, the
diamond penetrates 0.7
mm.

 The lingual reduction of a

canine is done in two
planes, with a slight
ridge extending
incisogingivally down the
middle of the lingual
surface.
On incisors, the entire
surface is smoothly
concave. The junction
between the cingulum
and the lingual wall must
not be overly reduced. If
excessive tooth structure
is removed, the lingual
wall will be too short to

 INCIS AL Incisal reduction is

done with the fl at side of the
medium grit long needle
diamond.
It generally parallels the
inclination of the uncut incisal
edge and barely breaks
through the labioincisal line
angle.
Near the junction between the
incisal edge and the lingual
surface, it is about 0.7 mm
deep. On a canine, the natural
mesial and distal inclines of
the incisal edge are followed.
On an incisor, a fl at plane is
cut from mesial to distal

LINGUAL AXIAL REDUCTION

reduced with a coarse-grit tapered torpedo
diamond, and a chamfer fi nish line is created at
the same time
The diamond is kept parallel with the incisal twothirds of the labial surface to initiate the path of
insertion of the preparation.

The path of withdrawal of the restoration

must be accurately determined before
axial reduction.
Mesiodistally it should parallel the long
axis of the tooth.
Buccolingually it should parallel the
middle or incisal two thirds of the facial
surface
In conjunction with the grooves, this
vertical lingual wall plays an essential
role in restoration retention

If the cingulum is short, it may be necessary

to make a beveled shoulder fi nish line on the
lingual surface, in order to move the wall
farther into the centre of the tooth where it
will be longer.
To compensate for a grossly insuffi cient
lingual wall, a pin may be added.
A 3.0-mm-deep pinhole can be placed in the
cingulum to compensate for a very short
lingual wall
Lorey and Meyers (1968) found that a
cingulum pin increased the retention of an
anterior three-quarter crown by 31%.

PROXIMAL REDUCTION
Proximal reduction is started with
a medium-grit long needle
diamond.
The instrument comes from the
lingual to minimize the display of
metal later.
An up-and-down motion is used,
with care taken not to nick the
adjacent tooth or lean the
diamond too far into the centre of
the prepared tooth.
The labial proximal extensions are
completed, and contact with the
adjacent tooth should be barely
broken with an enamel hatchet or
binangle chisel, not with the
diamond

PROXIMAL GROOVES
The grooves are placed as far
labially as possible without
undermining the labial enamel
plate.
outlines of the grooves are
drawn on the lingual incisal
area of the preparation.
The fi rst groove is begun by
cutting a 1.0-mm-deep
template within the penciled
outline using a no. 169L bur.
The groove is extended
gingivally in increments to its
full length. This small diameter
allows adjustment of the
groove without overcutting it.

 The se cond groove is cut parallel with

the fi rst, with bot h ending just short of
the chamfer.
Grooves in an anterior three-quarter
crown pre paration parallel the incisal one
half to two -thirds of the facial surface ,
unlike those in a posterior tooth, which
parallel the long axis of the tooth.
Boxes may be substitute d for grooves if
there are existing proximal restorations
or caries. Boxes must be narrow to be
resistant because the lingual wall of a
box shorte ns drastically as it is moved
lingually.
On the facial aspect of each groove, a
fl are is starte d at the gingival end with
the thin tip of a fl ame diamond.

INCISAL OFFSET
Using a no. 171L bur, the grooves
are connected with an incisal
off set, with a uniform distance
from the incisal edge maintained.
The off set is a defi nite step on the
sloping lingual surface, placed
near the opposing occlusal
contact.
The metal that occupies the space
reinforces the margin.
It creates a band of thicker metal
to provide a staple confi guration.
This provides additional rigidity
and resistance against bending of
the casting.
On a canine it forms a V, but on an
incisor it is a straight line.

INCISAL BEVEL
A 0.5-mm-wide bevel is
placed on the labioincisal
fi nish line using a no.
170L bur.
The bevel is perpendicular
to the path of insertion
A contrabevel can be
placed on the distal
incline, where esthetic
considerations are not as
critical.
However, a contrabevel
should never be used on
an incisor it will lead to
display of unesthetic
metal

PIN MODIFIED THREE QUARTER

CROWN
Esthetic modifi cation of three quarter crown
Preserves facial surface and one proximal surface
the retainer of choice on unblemished teeth used as
fi xed partial denture abutments in esthetically critical
areas.
excellent retainer for short-span fi xed partial dentures
Retention and resistance are provided by pins that
extend to a depth of 2 mm into the dentin. Compared
to other retainers the pin ledge preparation is very
conservative of tooth structure.

 Pinholes are usually made with a 0.675-mm drill.

The twist drill is followed with a no. 169L carbide bur,
which is 0.6 mm in diameter at its tip and has a slight
taper so that its diameter approaches 0.9 mm at its
widest
Nylon bristles, which are ideally 25 to 50 m smaller in
diameter than the drill, are placed in the pinholes
because the pinholes are too small to be reproduced by
impression material.
Impression material surrounds the pin and incorporates it
into the impression. When the impression is poured, the
nylon bristles protruding from it reproduce the pinholes.
Pins should be at least 2.0 to 3.0 mm long. Adequate pin
length is essential to retention, and short pins will cause
the failure of a conservative fi xed partial denture

Indications:
Indicated for undamaged anterior teeth in dentitions with a
low caries experience. The presence of a small carious
lesion does not preclude its use.
The pinmodifi ed three-quarter crown is good for repairing
incisors and canines with severe lingual abrasion
Can be prepared on bulbous teeth that are unsuitable for
three quarter crowns.
Contra indications
Patients with poor oral hygiene or a high caries rate are not
good candidates for this type of restoration.
contraindicated on nonvital tooth
Large pulp horn
In cases where the alignment of the teeth will confl ict the
proposed path of withdrawal of the fi xed partial denture.

 Advantages:
The advantage of this restoration is that the labial
tooth surface remains intact.
The lingual concavity of a maxillary anterior tooth can
be modifi ed successfully with a pin ledge restoration.
Disadvantages
In some cases there can be a display of slight amount
of metal along the incisal edge.
It is not possible to place pin holes of adequate size
and length in teeth that are thin labiolingually .

LINGUAL REDUCTION
Similar to conventional anterior three quarter
preparation
Concave reduction of the lingual aspect of the tooth
is done with a small coarse-grit football shaped
diamond to produce a minimum clearance of 0.7 mm
with adjacent teeth

LINGUAL AXIAL REDUCTION

Using a coarse-grit tapered
torpedo diamond , the lingual
axial wall is reduced to parallel
the incisal two -thirds of the
labial surface simultaneously
forming a chamfer fi nish line .
not to extend too far labially into
the lingual proximal embrasure
on the proximal surface opposite
the retentive feature. 0.4mm
lingual to contact
The fi nish line must be far
enough lingual to the proximal
contact so that the restoration
margin can be fi nished by the
dentist and cleaned by the
patient.

PROXIMAL REDUCTION
Only one surface is prepared
The medium-grit long ne edle diamond
is use d to be gin axial reduction from
the lingual facially almost through
the contact area, and the coarse-grit
tapered torpe do diamond is used to
continue the axial re duction to its
most facial extension ne ar the
labioproximal line angle
The contact area can be broken with
the binangle chisel or enamel
hatche t. The reduction is diminished
at the fi nish line
The location of this fi nish line is
crit ical. If it is not far enough facial,
it can cause an undersized, weak
connector and a margin that would be
impossible to fi nish properly .

PROXIMAL GROOVES
The primary axial
retention/resistance features,
two grooves, are placed next
to the edentulous space. If the
proximal surface is carious or
has been restored previously,
a box form can be used.
Two grooves are more
retentive than box as it has
two lingual wall
The facial groove is placed
with a no. 170L bur. The
lingual groove is placed next,
paralleling it with the fi rst

A third, much shorter

groove is placed on
the opposite side of
the cingulum near the
vertical fi nish line on
that surface.
This groove enhances
the restoration
resistance slightly,
and it accommodates
a bulk of metal to
reinforce the margin.

 Proximal fl ares are formed with a medium-grit fl ame

diamond. For the fl are to draw, it must be wider
incisally than it is gingivally.
It nearly eliminates the facial wall of the groove at
its incisal end. A slight fl are is placed on the mesial
groove.

COUNTERSINK
A fl at ledge or countersink is
cut in the incisal corner
opposite the site of the
proximal grooves using a no.
170L bur. It must be gingival
to the incisal edge, in dentin,
and lingual to the fi nish line .
A ledge is also placed in the
middle of the cingulum. These
fl at areas on the sloping
lingual surface provide easy
starts for precise pinhole
placement, and they create
space for a reinforcing bulk of
metal at the base of the pins.

INCISAL OFFSET
The no. 170L bur is used
to connect the incisal
ledge and the facial
most proximal groove
with an incisal off set.
A V shaped trough is cut
along the side of the
lingual surface from the
incisal ledge to the
short cingulum groove.
The metal in the trough
will reinforce the
linguoproximal margin
of the restoration.

PIN HOLE PREPARATION

Pin holes are made with
round bur and 0.6 mm
( 0.024 inches) drill
First pin hole is made on
incisal ledge .When the fi rst
pinhole is approximately 3
mm deep, the handpiece is
withdrawn, and a nylon bristle
is placed in the pinhole.
Using the bristle and grooves
as guides, a 3-mm-deep
pinhole is made in the other
ledge that is on cingulum
Minimum width of ledge 0.5
mm around pin hole

INCISAL BEVEL
The angle between the facial
wall of the off set and the
incisal edge of uncut tooth
structure is bevelled.
All the margins are fi nished
and sharp angles are rounded
off .

SUMMARY
Partial veneers can be used as single tooth
restoration or serve as retainer for fi xed partial
dentures.
They can be used for both anterior and posterior
teeth.
They provide advantage of being conservative in
nature, but their preparation is a challenging requires
excellent skills of dentist.
A partial coverage restoration should be considered
fi rst when a cast restoration is needed.
A full coverage crown should be chosen only when
the coverage or retention aff orded by a partial
coverage crown is inadequate.

K
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