Lecture 5: Clasps and

Indirect Retainers
Karen L. Faraone, D.D.S., M.A.
Department of Restorative Dentistry
General Goal: to understand
the principles of clasps and
indirect retainers
Required reading: McCracken,
10th edition, pages 97 - 151
 Objectives:
• to understand the purpose of a clasp assembly and
indirect retainer
• to understand the requirements of clasps and indirect
retainers
• to understand the criteria for selection
• to recognize and understand the differences between
suprabulge, infrabulge and wrought wire clasps
 Clasp
an extra coronal direct retainer that
engages an abutment tooth for retention,
stability, and support of the partial denture
 Clasp Assembly
• Retentive component
• Bracing (Reciprocal) component
• Rest
 Retentive Component
• a clasp arm whose terminal (flexible) portion engages
an undercut area of an abutment tooth
• flexibility of clasp tip due to thickness, length and taper
of metal
• concentration of stress at arms thickest portion

stress concentration
clasp retention gingival
to height of contour
Bracing (Reciprocal) Component:
a rigid component that contacts a non-undercut
area of an abutment tooth

the clasp does not extend

into the undercut area
(gingival to height of
contour)
 Rest
a rigid extension of a partial denture which
contacts a remaining tooth in a prepared rest
seat to transmit vertical and horizontal forces
Requirements:
• Retention
• Bracing
• Support
• Reciprocation
• Encirclement
• Passivity
 Retention:
• resistance to vertical dislodgment
• terminal 1/3 of retentive clasp arm ends in a
predetermined undercut area on abutment tooth

flexible clasp arms engage undercut areas

 Bracing:
• resistance to horizontal forces
• rigid component that does not enter a tooth undercut

Retentive Clasp Arm Bracing Clasp Arm

 Support
• resistance to vertical seating forces
• provided by rest
• prevents trauma to peridental structures
 Reciprocation
• resistance to horizontal forces exerted on a tooth by an
active retentive element
• bracing component resists forces exerted by retentive clasp
arm during seating and removal
• prevents tooth movement
bracing and retentive arms do not
touch the tooth at the same time
causing torquing movement

the tooth has been modified so that

the clasp arms contact
simultaneously minimizing
torquing movement
 Encirclement:
• prevents horizontal tooth movement from within
confines of the clasp
• must engage tooth greater than 180 degrees of
circumference

C. clasp on the left encircles the the I-bar clasp assembly engages the
tooth greater than 180 degrees - the tooth 270degrees - clasp-proximal
one on the right does not plate-rest
 Passivity:
there is no active force on the tooth when
the clasp is in place

The clasps retentive function should be

activated only when a dislodging force is
applied. A force in an occlusal direction
causes the retentive clasp to bind in the
undercut from a gingival direction. The
retentive clasp should not place active
force on the tooth when it is seated at rest.
 Criteria for Selection
of Clasp:
• tooth-borne vs. tooth-mucosa borne
• minimal tooth and minimal gingival coverage
• location of survey line
• soft tissue contours
• esthetics
• ease of removal
Categories:
• Suprabulge
• Infrabulge
• Wrought Wire
 Suprabulge Clasp
• clasp approaches the retentive undercut
from an occlusal direction
.0l0” undercut for premolars and anterior teeth
.010” to .020” undercut for molars
• examples:
circumferential
embrasure
ring
Ring Clasp
 Suprabulge Clasps cont.
• design considerations:
– only terminal 1/3 of the retentive clasp arm engages the
undercut at the level of the gingival and middle third
– bracing arm is slightly thicker and located at junction of
gingival and middle third

junction of gingival
and middle third of
tooth
 Suprabulge Clasps

Circumferential
clasp Circumferential clasps

Embrasure clasp
 Infrabulge Clasps
• retentive clasp approaches the .010” undercut from a cervical
direction
• commonly used for tooth-mucosa borne RPDs
• example: I-bar
• design considerations:
never impinges on soft or movable tissue
crosses gingival margin at 90 degrees and proceeds for
3 mm. before turning
never over a deep tissue undercut because it causes a
food trap, injury to lip or cheek, and patient
discomfort
I-bar Infrabulge Clasp
the I-bar tapers
gradually as it
approaches the I-bar contacts the tooth mid-
flexible tip buccal or mesio buccal

I-bar crosses the gingival

margin at a 90 degree angle
and proceeds for 3 mm. before
3 mm. turning toward the RPD
framework
I-bar Infrabulge Clasp
the I-bar contacts the tooth for
1.5 to 2.0 mm. from .010”
undercut to superior extent

an infrabulge clasp does not

impinge on soft or moveable
tissues
 I-bar Infrabulge Clasp
The analyzing rod indicates how far
the cast I-bar clasp would be from
the gingiva creating trauma,
discomfort and a food trap.

The diagram demonstrates problems

caused by an I-bar placed over a
tissue undercut.
Wrought Wire Clasp
• commonly used for tooth-mucosa borne
RPDs
• usually 19 gauge thickness
• usually soldered to cast metal framework
• .020” undercut needed
• flexibility - resistance to fracture
 Wrought Wire Clasp
Wrought wire clasps are
generally soldered to the
framework and must engage
a .020” undercut.

The round shape of the wrought

wire clasp allows for superior
flexibility over a cast metal clasp.
 Indirect Retainer
• the component of a RPD that assists the direct retainers in
preventing displacement of the distal extension denture
base by functioning through lever action on the opposite
side of the fulcrum line when the denture base moves away
from the tissues in pure rotation around the fulcrum line

• the effectiveness of the I.R. is directly proportional to its

distance from the fulcrum line

• the I.R. requires a positive, vertical stop (rest seat)

Indirect Retainer
Any rest on the opposite side of
the fulcrum line from the
extension base(s) functions as an
indirect retainer

The most effective indirect

retainer is located on the
longest perpendicular from the
fulcrum line

The Fulcrum Line extends

through the most posterior rest
on each side of the arch - the
RPD rotates around the fulcrum
during function
Indirect Retainer
Indirect
Retainer

Fulcrum
Fulcrum
Line
Line
As the distal extension base lifts
Indirect away from the tissue, it rotates
Retainer about the fulcrum line. Its
rotational movement is limited by
the indirect retainer