Direct and Indirect Retainers

DEPARTMENT OF 
PROSTHODONTICS& IMPLANTOLOGY, 
SRM KDC & H
• Direct retainers
1. Intracoronal retainers
2. Extracoronal retainers
– Structure of clasp assembly
– Requirements of clasp assembly
– Cast circumferential clasp
– Infrabulge clasp
• Indirect retainers
Retainers: any type of device used for the
stabilization or retention of a prosthesis.
(GPT 8)
Direct retainer: that component of a
partial removable dental prosthesis used
to retain and prevent dislodgment,
consisting of a clasp assembly or precision
attachment.
 Classification of direct
retainers

Intracoronal
Extracoronal
Clasps
• According to construction
– Cast
– Wrought wire
– Combination
• According to design
– Circumferential
– Bar type
 Intracoronal direct retainers

• Introduced by
Herman E.S. Chayes
in 1906
• Consists of two
components
- Matrix (slot)
- Patrix (flange)
 Intracoronal direct retainers
Advantages Disadvantages
• Elimination of visible • Require prepared
retention and support abutment and castings
system • Complicated clinical and
• Better vertical support lab procedures
• Eventually wear
• Better stimulation of
underlying soft • Difficult to repair and
replace
tissues
• Least effective on short
tooth
Extracoronal direct
retainers
 Retentive clasp assemblies

Mechanics of retainer can

be understood with two
concepts path of insertion
and removal, and height
of contour
• Prothero’s “cone
theory”
• Share common base
referred to as
greatest diameter of
tooth
• Edward kennedy
termed as “height of
contour”
 M.M. DeVan terms

• Suprabulge direct • Infrabulge direct retainer

retainers
Structure of a clasp assembly
Requirements of a clasp
assembly
Retention
Support
Stability
Reciprocation
Encirclement
Passivity
Retention
 Retention

The flexibility of the retentive clasp arm may

be influenced by
• Length
• cross-sectional form
• cross-sectional diameter
• longitudinal taper
• clasp curvature, and
• metallurgical characteristics of the alloy.
 Retention

Clasp flexibility increases as clasp length

increases
The mathematical formula for deflection of a
uniform cantilever beam. This formula may be
expressed as:
D= Ewt3
4PL3
where D deflection, P = applied force, L =
length, E = modulus of elasticity, w =beam
width, and t = beam thickness.
 Retention

Cross-sectional diameter Longitudinal taper

Retention

Cross-sectional form
 Retention

Metallurgical characteristics of the alloy

 Retention

• Location of each
retentive clasp
terminus relative to
the height of contour
may be described in
two distinct
dimensions: (1) a
mediolateral or
horizontal dimension
and (2) an occlusal or
vertical dimension.
 Support

• Support is the quality of a clasp assembly that

resists displacement of a prosthesis in an apical
direction.
• Other elements that contact the abutment
occlusal to the height of contour (e.g., a
reciprocal element or shoulder of retentive clasp)
also may contribute to the support function.
 Stability

• Stability is the quality of a clasp assembly that

resists displacement of prosthesis in a horizontal
direction. All framework components that are
rigid and contact vertically oriented hard and
soft tissues may contribute to the stability of
prosthesis.
 Reciprocation

• Reciprocation is the quality of a clasp assembly

that counteracts lateral displacement of an
abutment when the retentive clasp terminus
passes over the height of contour.
Encirclement
Passivity
Location of retentive
clasp terminus
Cast circumferential clasp

• Introduced by Nesbitt in 1916

• Simple and easy to fabricate
• Tooth supported RPD
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
 Design rules for cast
circumferential clasp
• A cast circumferential clasp should originate
from a portion of the framework that lies above
the height of contour.
• retentive terminus should be directed occlusally
• should terminate at the mesial line angle or
distal line angle of the abutment
• The retentive arm should be positioned as far
apically on the abutment as is practical.
Simple circlet clasp

Reverse circlet clasp

Multiple circlet clasp

Embrasure clasp
Ring clasp

C-clasp
Onlay clasp
 Wrought-wire
circumferential clasp
• It used as early as 1847, the wrought wire
circumferential clasp
• In 1965, Dr 0. C. Applegate introduced a modified
wrought wire clasp assembly known as the ‘combination
clasp”.
• consists of an occlusal rest a cast metal reciprocal arm,
and a wrought wire retentive arm. The wrought wire
component is circular in cross section.
• Kennedy Class I or Class II posterior edentulous area
when the usable undercut is located at the mesiofacial
line angle of the most posterior abutment.
• Increased flexibility hence can be used in the greater
undercut area.
• Minimal tooth surface contact
 Infrabulge clasp

• clasp approaches the undercut region of an

abutment from an apical direction. Therefore an
infrabulge clasp exhibits a “push type” of
retention that is more effective than the “pull”
retention associated with a suprabulge clasp.
• Flexibility of the infrabulge clasp is controlled by
the taper and length of the approach arm.
• more esthetic than a suprabulge clasp
 Design rules for
infrabulge clasp
• The approach arm of an infrabulge clasp must
not impinge on the soft tissues adjacent to the
abutment
• The approach arm should cross perpendicular to
the free gingival margin
• The approach arm should never be designed to
bridge an area of soft tissue undercut
• uniform tapering
• The clasp terminus should be more apically
positioned on the abutment
Types of infrabulge calsp

These clasps are described by their geometric

shapes. There are four main types of infrabulge
clasp.
• T-clasp,
• the modified T-clasp,
• the Y- clasp, and
• the I-clasp or I-bar.
 T-clasp design

• Kennedy Class I or
Class II partially
edentulous and
undercut is located
adjacent to the
edentulous area
Modified T clasp

• The modified T-clasp

is essentially a T-clasp
that lacks the
nonretentive,
horizontal projection.
• improved esthetics in
most applications
• used when canines or
premolars will serve
as abutments.
 Y-clasp design

• Practically Y clasp is
equivalent to a T-
clasp
• recontouring of the
abutment surface
I bar design
 Indirect Retainer

• The effect achieved by one or more indirect

retainers of a partial removable denture
prosthesis that reduces the tendency for a
denture base to move in an occlusal direction or
rotate about the fulcrum line (GPT-8)
Principles of indirect
retainer
 Forms Of Indirect
Retainers
• Auxiliary Occlusal Rest
• Canine Rests
• Canine Extensions from Occlusal Rests
• Cingulum Bars (Continuous Bars) and
Linguoplate
 Reference
• Phoenix, Cagna, DeFreest, Stewart’s Clinical Removable Partial Prosthodontics, 3rd
edition, 2003 Quintessence publications Co,Inc. pp 53-126

• Carr A.B, Mc Givney G.P, brown D.T; Mc Crackens Removable Partial

Prosthodontics; 11th edition 2005; Harcourt brace and company Asia Pte Ltd New
Delhi Pp 271-299.

• Renner and Boucher; Removable Partial dentures; 1987, Quintessence Publication

co., Inc Chicago; Pp 53-117.

• J. C. Davenport et al, Retention, British dental journal, 2000,volume 189, pages

646-657

• J. C. Davenport et al, Indirect retention, British dental journal, 2001, volume 190,
pages 128-132.

• Removable partial denture an overview pages 51-74

Thank You