[Designing of partial dentures with free end saddles]

Partial dentures with free end saddles, classified as K I and II present special design problems because of the different properties of tooth support and mucosa support. The main principle is that strait saddles are designed as tooth-born, however in curved saddles tooth and mucosa-born dentures are preferred. The article describes so called "altered cast" clinical and laboratory procedure which prevents rocking of the denture around the fulcrum line in patients with resilient alveolar ridge mucosa. Besides that some typical designs of partial dentures are presented.