title: Effects of periodontal support and fixed splinting on load transfer by removable partial dentures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Periodontally compromised abutment teeth complicate the design of bilateral distal extension removable partial dentures.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the stress induced in the remaining oral structures by a bilateral distal extension I-bar-retained RPD with periodontally involved abutments in a photoelastic simulation model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Composite photoelastic models were used as a simulation model in determining the stress generating characteristics of I-bar RPDs with varying degrees of periodontal involvement of the distal abutments. Effects of fixed splinting were considered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Under the same load conditions, the highest stresses developed in the model with the largest osseous defect. Increasing the number of splinted teeth did not provide a proportional decrease in maximum stress levels. The more severe the osseous defect, the greater assistance was provided by splinting to periodontally sound teeth. This simulation study suggests that routine cross-arch splinting may not be appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Tohoku University, School of Dentistry, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Caputo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wylie
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000503:physiopathology; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000503:physiopathology; D001732:Bite Force; D002858:Chromium Alloys; D003442:Crowns; D003481:Cuspid / Q000503:physiopathology; D000044:Dental Abutments; D003819:Denture Bases; D003779:Denture Design; D003781:Denture Retention; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000503:physiopathology; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008954:Models, Biological; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010516:Periodontal Splints; D012399:Rotation; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D002858:Chromium Alloys