title: Limitations in the use of attachments in a Mediterranean population.
abstract: It has been asserted that the average height of natural teeth in Mediterranean Latin populations is relatively short and that these teeth are of insufficient size to host standard attachments manufactured by different companies. The occlusogingival height of 159 potential abutment teeth from 50 Spanish patients was measured and compared to the sizes of intracoronal and extracoronal attachments available from one manufacturer. Twenty-one abutments (13% of the sample) were smaller than the smallest intracoronal attachment available. Eighty-seven percent of the abutments in the sample would have allowed the use of an attachment. However, only 11% of the sample would have allowed the use of a large intracoronal or medium extracoronal attachment, and none would have been able to host a large extracoronal attachment. In addition, 35% of the sample could only have accepted a small intracoronal attachment. In such cases, the capacity for retention would have to be carefully evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occlusion and Prosthodontics, University of Barcelona, School of Dentistry, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peraire
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rustullet
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Anglada
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Salsench
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000208:ethnology*; D000044:Dental Abutments; D003779:Denture Design; D003834:Denture Precision Attachment; D003781:Denture Retention / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D008875:Middle Aged; D009811:Odontometry; D013030:Spain; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D044465:White People