title: Precision attachment-retained removable partial dentures: Part 2. Long-term study of ball attachments.
abstract: Patients provided with 24 ball attachment-retained removable partial dentures were followed up to 23.5 years. The prosthetic treatment included fixed partial dentures in 8 arches, and combinations of crowns and splint bars in 16 arches. All ball attachment matrices were supplied with vertical occlusal stops in contact with the patrices. A nonresilient hinged coupling was established between fixed partial dentures and removable partial dentures. Seventeen arches had only two or three remaining teeth. A total of 66 abutments for fixed partial dentures were included, 30 of which were root canal treated and supplied with posts. No technical failures (loss of retention/cement failure, root or tooth fracture, metal framework fracture) with the fixed partial dentures were recorded. With the removable partial dentures, additional retention with clasps was introduced in 2 of the dentures (in addition to 8 originally), 2 had to be remade after fractures, and 4 dentures were relined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Owall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016734:Dental Clasps; D003779:Denture Design; D003834:Denture Precision Attachment; D003781:Denture Retention; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011475:Prosthesis Failure