CONNECTORS IN FIXED PRESENTED BY

SHUBHAM KARAV
PARTIAL DENTURES GUIDED BY
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
TYPES OF CONNECTORS
TYPES OF RIGID CONNECTORS
TYPES OF NON RIGID CONNECTORS
CONNECTOR DESIGN
INTRODUCTION
A connector is that part of a Fixed Partial
Denture that unites the individual components
(pontics and retainers) together.
TYPES OF CONNECTORS
Fixed partial denture connectors can be
broadly divided into two types-
Rigid connectors
Non rigid connectors
NON RIGID CONNECTORS
The use of non rigid connectors is indicated to
relieve stress or to accommodate poorly
aligned fixed partial denture abutments.
These are of three types-
Tenon-Mortise connectors
Split pontic connectors
Cross-pin and wing connectors
Parallel path of insertion
cannot be achieved Pier abutments

Periodontally weakened teeth

TENON MORTISE
CONNECTORS
 Also known as key-keyway

Fabricated as a two unit bridge-

The mesial segment consists of keyway on the distal aspect

of the abutment.

The distal segment consists of the key on the mesial aspect

of pontic

First the wax pattern of the units are made on the cast.
 At the time of try-in the fit of individual units is verified.

A trial seating is performed with all of the units, the 3

unit anterior segment, pier abutment retainer, the distal
retainer

A soldering index of all unts is made with ZOE bite

registration paste.

The distal units are placed in their imprints and

invested for soldering
SPLIT PONTIC
 Wax pattern for anterior three-unit segment is
fabricated first, with a distal arm attached to pier
retainer.

The portion under the arm is shaped like the

tissue contacting the area of pontic.

A surveyor is used to place the key or keyway

segment properly. The segment should align with
the distal abutment preparation.
 The mesial three unit segment is invested,
burned out and cast. After finishing it is seated
on cast, plastic pattern for key or keyway is
placed.

The distal retainer and disto-occlusal segment

of the pontic are waxed , invested, burned out
and cast.

The mesial segment is cemented first, followed

immediately by distal segment.
CROSS-PIN AND WING
CONNECTORS
 Cross-pin and wing are working elements of a two-piece
fixed pontic system that allows the two segments to be
rigidly fixed after the retainers have been cemented on their
respective abutment preparations.

A vertical wing made of baseplate wax is attached to mesial

part of distal retainer wax pattern. It should extend out 3
mm mesially, have 1mm thickness and 1mm short of
occlusal surface.

Distal reatainer along with the wing is invested, burned out

and cast. A 0.7 mm hole is drilled through the wing. A 0.7
mm pencil is inserted in the hole and a wax pattern is built
around the lead and wing. After that it is invested, burned
out and cast. A pin of the same alloy is fabricated.
RIGID CONNECTORS
These connectors do not allow any movement
and are indicated when the entire masticatory
load is to be transferred onto the abutments.
RIGID CONNECTORS CAN BE
FABRICATED BY
Casting
Soldering
Welding
CAST CONNECTORS
Cast connectors are shaped in wax as a part
of a multiunit wax pattern.
ADVANTAGES
Cast connectors are convenient and minimize
the number of steps in laboratory fabrication
DISADVANTAGES
Liability to distortion after removal from wax
pattern.
Restricted to simple restorations
SOLDERED CONNECTORS
Soldering is the joining of metal components by
filler material, or solder, which is fused to each of
the parts being joined.

The parts being joined are not melted during

soldering, but must be thoroughly wettable by
liquified solder
 Soldering- the filler metal has a melting point below
450 C (842 F), and

Brazing- the filler has a melting point above 450 C.

Rigid connections in dentistry are generally fabricated

above 450 C.
 Connectors to be soldered are waxed to final shape and then
sectioned with a thin ribbon saw

The surfaces to be joined should be flat and parallel

An even gap width of 0.25 mm is recommended

Cleanliness of the surfaces is very important to allow good

wetting by the solder alloy
INDEXING
CONNECTOR DESIGN
Size

They should be sufficiently large to withstand stresses and

prevent distortion or fracture during function

If small failure

If too large small embrasures hygiene is impeded

 Hamid et al 2008

Effect of connector width on stress distribution in all

ceramic fixed partial dentures.

Compared three different widths, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm for

connectors.

Concluded that an increase in the width of connector

reduces the stress concentration and improves the
likelihood of long-term prognosis.
CONNECTOR DESIGN
Shape

Tissue surface should be highly polished and curved faciolingually to

facilitate cleansing

Mesiodistally, it is shaped to create smooth transition from one

component to the other

Buccolingually elliptical in shape to provide strength

 Anusavice et al 2002.

Studied the effect of connector design on the fracture

resistance of all-ceramic fixed partial dentures.

As the radius at the gingival embrasure increased from 0.25

to 0.90 mm, the mean failure load increased by 140%.

The radius of curvature at the occlusal embrasure had only

a minor effect on the fracture susceptibility of 3-unit FPDs
CONNECTOR DESIGN
Position

Connectors are normally placed towards the lingual to improve

appearance without affecting plaque control
REFERENCES
FUNDAMENTALS OF FIXED PROSTHODONTICS
SHILLINBERG, FOURTH EDITION, INDIAN
EDITION
TEXTBOOK OF PROSTHODONTICS
V RANGARAJAN, TV PADMANABHAN